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FURNITURE 
OF  THE  OLDEN  TIME 


THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK   •   BOSTON  •    CHICAGO  •    DALLAS 
ATLANTA  •   SAN   FRANCISCO 

MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  Limited 

LONDON  •  BOMBAY  •  CALCUTTA 
MELBOURNE 

THE  MACMILLAN  CO.  OF  CANADA,  Ltd. 

TORONTO 


•  V        t»f 


•  c«  »>      c 


FURNITURE 

OF 

THE  OLDEN  TIME 

BY 
FRANCES    CLARY    MORSE 


NEW  EDITION 
With  a  New  Chapter  and  Many  New  Illustrations 


**Hozv  much  more  agreeable  it  is  to  sit  in  the  midst  of  old  furniture  like 
Minoti's  clock,  and  secretary  and  looking-glass,  which  have  come  down  from 
other  generations,  than  amid  that  which  was  just  brought  from  the  cabinet- 
maker's, smelling  of  varnish,  like  a  coffin  !  To  sit  under  the  face  of  an  old 
clock  that  has  been  ticking  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  —  there  is  something 
mortal,  not  to  say  immortal,  about  it;  a  clock  that  begun  to  tick  when  Mas- 
sachusetts was  a  province.'*'  H.  D.  Thoreau,  "  Autumn." 


THE   MACMILLAN    COMPANY 
1917 

All  rights  reserved 


./  jj  ^a^  c 


r\ 


Copyright,  1902  and  1917, 
By  the  MACMILLAN  COMPANY. 


Set  up  and  electrotyped  November,  iqo2.     Reprinted  April,  1903; 
July,  1905;  February,  1908;  September,  1910;  September,  1913. 


New  edition,  with  a  new  chapter  and  new  illustrations,  December,  1917. 


J,  S.  Cusbing  Co.  —  Berwick  fif  Smith  Co. 
Norwood,  Mass.,   U.S.A. 


ALICE  MORSE   EARLE 


39696a 


Contents 

PAGE 

Introduction i 

CHAPTER  I 
Chests,  Chests  of  Drawers,  and  Dressing-Tables   .      lo 

CHAPTER   n 
Bureaus  and  Washstands      ......      41 

CHAPTER  HI 
Bedsteads         .        .      , 64 

CHAPTER  IV 
Cupboards  and  Sideboards 84 

CHAPTER  V 
Desks 117 

CHAPTER  VI 
Chairs 154 

CHAPTER  VII 
Settles,  Settees,  and  Sofas 213 

CHAPTER  VIH 

Tables 242 

vii 


viii  Contents 

CHAPTER  IX 

PAGE 

Musical  Instruments 280 

CHAPTER  X 
Fires  and  Lights 315 

CHAPTER  XI 
Clocks 348 

CHAPTER  XII 
Looking-glasses 374 

CHAPTER  XIII 
Doorways,  Mantels,  and  Stairs 411 

Glossary 451 

Index  of  the  Owners  of  Furniture    .        .        .        .     459 
General  Index        465 


List   of  Illustrations 


Lacquered  Desk  with  Cabinet  Top 

ILLUS. 

Looking-glass,  1810-1825 

Oak  Chest,  about  1650         .... 

Olive-wood  Chest,  1630-1650 

Panelled  Chest  with  One  Drawer,  about  1660 

Oak  Chest  with  Two  Drawers,  about  1675  . 

Panelled  Chest  with  Two  Drawers,  about  1675 

Carved  Chest  with  One  Drawer,  about  1700 

Panelled  Chest  upon  Frame,  1670-1700 

Panelled  Chest  upon  Frame,  1670-1700 

Panelled  Chest  of  Drawers,  about  1680 

Panelled  Chest  of  Drawers,  about  1680 

Handles 

Six-legged  High  Chest  of  Drawers,  1 705-171 5 
Walnut  Dressing-table,  about  1700 
Lacquered  Dressing-table,  about  1720. 
Cabriole-legged  High   Chest  of  Drawers  with  China 

Steps,  about  1720     . 
Lacquered  High-boy,  1 730   .... 
Inlaid  Walnut  High  Chest  of  Drawers,  1733 
Inlaid  Walnut  High  Chest  of  Drawers,  about  1760 
"Low-boy"  and  "High-boy"  of  Walnut,  about  1740 
Walnut  Double  Chest,  about  1760 
Double  Chest,  1 760-1 770     . 
Block-front  Dressing-table,  about  1750 
Dressing-table,  about  1760  . 
Chest  of  Drawers,  1740 
High  Chest  of  Drawers,  about  1765 
Dressing-table  and  Looking-glass,  about  1770 
Walnut  Dressing-table,  about  1770 
ix 


I. 

2. 
3. 
4. 
5- 
6. 

7- 
8. 

9. 
10. 
II. 
12. 

13- 
14. 

15- 

16. 

17- 
18. 
19. 
20. 
21. 
22. 

23- 
24. 

25- 
26. 
27. 


Frontispiece 

PAGE 


II 
13 
14 
15 
16 

17 
18 
18 

19 
20 
21 
22 

23 

24 

26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
3^ 
S3 
34 
35 
36 
31 
39 
40 


List  of  Illustrations 


28. 
29. 
30. 
31- 
32. 
S3- 
34- 
35- 
36. 
37- 
38. 
39- 
40. 
41. 
42. 

43- 
44. 

45- 
46. 

47- 
48. 
49. 
50- 

51- 
52. 
S3- 
54. 
55- 
56. 
57. 
58. 
59. 
60. 
61. 
62. 
63. 


Looking-glass,  181 0-1825     • 
Block-front  Bureau,  about  1770   . 
Block-front  Bureau,  about  1770  . 
Block-front  Bureau,  about  1770  . 
Kettle-shaped  Bureau,  about  1770 
Serpentine-front  Bureau,  about  1770 
Serpentine-front  Bureau,  about  1785 
Swell-front  Inlaid  Bureau,  about  1795 

Handles 

Dressing-glass,  about  1760   . 

Bureau  and  Dressing-glass,  1795  . 

Bureau  and  Dressing-glass,  about  18 10 

Bureau  and  Miniature  Bureau,  about  1810 

Dressing-table  and  Glass,  about  1810 

Case  of  Drawers  with  Closet,  18 10 

Bureau,  about  181 5 

Bureau,  181 5-1820 

Empire  Bureau  and  Glass,  i 

Basin  Stand,  1770 

Corner  Washstand,  1790 

Towel-rack  and  Washstand, 

Washstand,    18 15-1830 

Night  Table,  1785 

Washstand,  1800-1810 

Looking-glass,  about  1770 

Wicker  Cradle,  1620     . 

Oak  Cradle,  1680 

Bedstead  and  Commode,  17^ 

Field  Bedstead,  1760-17  70 

Claw-and-ball-foot  Bedstead,  1774 

Bedstead,  1780     . 

Bedstead,  1 775-1 780 

Bedstead,  1789     . 

Bedstead,  1 795-1800 

Bedstead,  1800-18 10 

Bedstead,  1800-1810 

Bedstead,  1800-1810 

Bedstead,  1800-18 10 


810-1820 


I 790-1800 


List  of  Illustrations 


XI 


64.   Bedstead  and  Steps,  1790     . 

79 

65.   Low-post  Bedstead,  about  1825    . 

80 

66.   Low-post  Bedstead,  1820-1830     . 

81 

67.   Low  Bedstead,  about  1830   . 

82 

Looking-glass,  17  70-1 780      . 

84 

68.   Oak  Press  Cupboard,  1640   . 

85 

69.   Press  Cupboard,  about  1650 

87 

70.    Carved  Press  Cupboard,  1 680-1 690 

88 

71.    Corner  ''Beaufatt,"  1740-1750     . 

90 

72.    Kas,  1700 

92 

73.    Chippendale  Side-table,  about  1755 

93 

74.    Chippendale  Side-table,  1765 

94 

75.    Shearer  Sideboard  and  Knife-box,  1792 

97 

76.    Urn-shaped  Knife-box,  1790 

99 

77.    Urn-shaped  Knife-box,  1790 

99 

78.    Knife-box,  1790    ..... 

100 

79.   Hepplewhite  Sideboard  with  Knife-boxes,  1790 

102 

80.   Hepplewhite  Serpentine-front  Sideboard,  1790 

104 

8r.   Hepplewhite  Sideboard,  about  1795 

105 

82.    Sheraton  Side-table,  1795     . 

106 

83.   Sheraton  Side-table,  1795     . 

107 

84.    Sheraton  Sideboard  with  Knife-box,  1795 

108 

85.    Sheraton  Sideboard,  about  1800  . 

109 

86.    Sheraton  Sideboard,  about  1805   . 

no 

87.   Cellarets,  1790 

III 

88.    Sideboard,  1810-1820  .... 

.113 

89.   Empire  Sideboard,  1810-1820 

114 

90.   Mixing-table,  1790        .... 

IIS 

91.   Mixing-table,  1810-1820 

116 

Looking-glass,  about  1760    . 

117 

92.   Desk-boxes,  1654 

118 

93.   Desk-box,  1650 

118 

94.   Desk,  about  1680          .... 

119 

95.   Desk,  about  1680          .... 

120 

96.   Desk,  1710-1720 

121 

97.    Cabriole-legged  Desk,  1 7 20-1 730. 

124 

98.    Cabriole-legged  Desk,  1760  . 

125 

99.   Desk,  1760 

126 

xu 


List  of  Illustrations 


ILLTJS. 
lOO. 
lOI. 
I02. 
103. 
104. 
105. 
106. 
107. 
108. 
109. 
1 10. 
III. 
112. 

113- 

114. 

115- 
116. 
117. 
ii8. 
119. 

120. 
121. 
122. 
123. 
124. 
125. 
126. 
127. 
128. 
129. 
130- 
131- 
132. 

133. 
134- 
135. 
136. 


Desk,  about  1770  .         . 

Block-front  Desk,  Cabinet  Top,  about  1770 

Block-front  Desk,  about  1770 

Desk  with  Cabinet  Top,  about  1770 

Block-front  Desk,  about  1770 

Kettle-front  Secretary,  about  1765 

Block-front  Writing-table,  1760-17  70 

Serpentine-front  Desk,  Cabinet  Top,  1770 

Serpentine  or  Bow-front  Desk,  about  1770 

Bill  of  Lading,  17 16 

Bookcase  and  Desk,  about  1765 

Chippendale  Bookcase,  1770 

Hepplewhite  Bookcase,  1789 

Maple  Desk,  about  1795 

Desk  with  Cabinet  Top,  1790 

Sheraton  Desk,  1795    . 

Tambour  Secretary,  about  1800 

Sheraton  Desk,  1800    . 

Sheraton  Desk,  about  1810  . 

Desk,  about  1820 

Looking-glass,  17  20-1 740 

Turned  Chair,  Sixteenth  Century 

Turned  High-chair,  Sixteenth  Century 

Turned  Chair,  about  1600    . 

Turned  Chair,  about  1600    . 

Wainscot  Chair,  about  1600 

Wainscot  Chair,  about  1600 

Leather  Chair,  about  1660   . 

Chair  originally  covered  with  Turkey  Work,  about  1680 

Flemish  Chair,  about  1690  . 

Flemish  Chair,  about  1690  . 

Cane  Chair,  1 680-1 690 

Cane  High-chair  and  Arm-chair,  1 680-1690 

Cane  Chair,  1 680-1 690 

Cane  Chair,  1680- 1690 

Cane  Chair,  1680-1690 

Turned  Stool,  1660 

Flemish  Stool,  1680-1690     . 


List  of  Illustrations 


Xlll 


137.  Cane  Chair,  1690-1700 

138.  Queen  Anne  Chair,  1710-1720 

139.  Banister-back  Chair,  17 10-17  20 

140.  Banister-back  Chair,  17 10-17  20 

141.  Banister-back  Chair,  1 710-1740 

142.  Roundabout  Chair,  about  1740 

143.  Slat-back  Chairs,  1700-17  50 

144.  Five-slat  Chair,  about  1750 

145.  Pennsylvania  Slat-back  Chair,  1740-17 50 

146.  Windsor  Chairs,  1 750-1 775 

147.  Comb-back  Windsor  Rocking-chair,  1750-1775 

148.  High-back  Windsor  Arm-chair  and  Child's  Chair, 

1775 

149.  Windsor  Writing-chair,  1 7  50-1 775 

150.  Windsor  Rocking-chairs,  18  20-1 830 

151.  Dutch  Chair,  1 710-1720 

152.  Dutch  Chair,  about  1740 

153.  Dutch  Chair,  about  1740 

154.  Dutch  Chair,  1 740-1 750 

155.  Dutch  Chair,  1740-17 50 

156.  Dutch  Chairs,  17  50-1 760 

157.  Dutch  Roundabout  Chair,  1740 

158.  Easy-chair  with  Dutch  Legs,  1750 

159.  Claw-and-ball-foot  Easy-chair,  1750 

160.  Chippendale  Chair 

161.  Chippendale  Chair 

162.  Chippendale  Chair 

163.  Chippendale  Chair 

164.  Chippendale  Chair 

165.  Chippendale  Chairs 

166.  Chippendale  Chair 

167.  Roundabout  Chair 

168.  Extension- top  Roundabout  Chair,  Dutch 

169.  Roundabout  Chair 

170.  Chippendale  Chair 

171.  Chippendale  Chair 

172.  Chippendale  Chair 

173.  Chippendale  Chair 


1750- 


PAGE 
168 
168 
169 
169 
170 
170 
171 
172 
173 
174 
175 

176 
177 
178 
179 
180 
180 
181 
181 
182 

183 
184 

185 
186 
186 
187 
187 
189 
188 
190 
190 
191 
192 
192 
193 
193 
194 


XIV 


List  of  Illustrations 


174.  Chippendale  Chair       .... 

175.  Chippendale  Chair  in  "Chinese  Taste" 

176.  Chippendale  Chair 

177.  Chippendale  Chair 

178.  Hepple white  Chairs 

179.  Hepple  white  Chair 

180.  Hepplewhite  Chair,  1785 

181.  Hepplewhite  Chair,  1789 

182.  Hepplewhite  Chair,  1789 

183.  French  Chair,  1790 

184.  Hepplewhite  Chair,  1790 

185.  Arm-chair,  1790   . 
i86.  Transition  Chair,  1785 

187.  Hepplewhite  Chair 

188.  Hepplewhite  Chair 

189.  Hepplewhite  Chair 

190.  Hepplewhite  Chair 

191.  Sheraton  Chair     . 

192.  Sheraton  Chairs   . 

193.  Sheraton  Chair     . 

194.  Sheraton  Chair     . 

195.  Sheraton  Chair     . 

196.  Sheraton  Chair     . 

197.  Sheraton  Chair     . 

198.  Painted  Sheraton  Chair,  1810-1815 

199.  Late  Mahogany  Chairs,  1830-1845 

200.  Maple  Chairs,  18 20-1 830 
Looking-glass,  17  70-1 780 

201.  Pine  Settle,  Eighteenth  Century 

202.  Oak  Settle,  1708   . 

203.  Settee  covered  with  Turkey  work,  1670-1680 

204.  Flemish  Couch,  1680- 1690    . 

205.  Dutch  Couch,  1720-1730 

206.  Chippendale  Couch,  1 760-1 770 

207.  Chippendale  Settee,  1760 

208.  Sofa,  1740     .... 

209.  Chippendale  Settee 

210.  Double  Chair,  1760 


List  of  Illustrations 


XV 


nxus. 

211. 
212. 

213. 
214. 
215. 

216. 

217. 
218. 
219. 

220. 

221. 
222. 
223. 
224. 
225. 
226. 
227. 
228. 
229. 
230. 
231. 

232. 

234. 
235- 
236. 

237- 
238. 
239- 
240. 
241. 
242. 

243- 
244. 

245- 
246. 


Chippendale  Double   Chair  and   Chair  in   "Chinese 

Taste,"  1760-1765    . 
Chippendale  Double  Chair,  17  50-1 7  50 
Chippendale  Settee,  1770 
French  Settee,  1790 
Hepplewhite  Settee,  1790     . 
Sheraton  Settee,  1 790-1 795 
Sheraton  Sofa,  1 790-1800     . 
Sheraton  Sofa,  about  1800    . 
Sheraton  Settee,  about  1805 
Sheraton  Settee,  1805-1810 
Empire  Settee,  1800-1810     . 
Empire  Settee,  1816     . 
Sheraton  Settee,  1 800-1 805 
Sofa  in  Adam  Style,  1800-18 10 
Sofa,  181 5-1820    . 
Sofa,  about  1820  . 
Cornucopia  Sofa,  about  1820 
Sofa  and  Miniature  Sofa,  about  1820 
Sofa  about  1820   . 
Sofa  and  Chair,  about  1840  . 
Rosewood  Sofa,  1844- 1848   . 
Looking-glass,  17  50- 17  80 
Chair  Table,  Eighteenth  Century 
Oak  Table,  1650-1675 
Slate-top  Table,  1670-1680  . 
"Butterfly  Table,"  about  1700 
"Hundred-legged"  Table,  167 5-1 700 
"Hundred -legged"  Table,  1680-1700 
Gate-legged  Table,  16 80- 1700 
Spindle-legged  Table,  1740-17  50  . 
"Hundred-legged"  Table,  1680-1700 
Dutch  Table,  17  20-1 740 
Dutch  Card-table,  1 730-1 740 
Claw-and-ball-foot  Table,  about  1750 
Dutch  Stand,  about  1740 
"Pie-crust"  Table,  1750       . 
"Dish-top"  Table,  1750       ,. 


224 
225 
226 
227 
228 
229 
230 
230 
231 
232 
232 
233 
234 
235 
236 

237 
238 
239 
239 
240 
241 
242 
243 
244 
245 
245 
246 
247 
248 

249 
250 

251 
251 

252 

253 
253 
254 


XVI 


List  of  Illustrations 


247.  Tea-tables,  17 50-1 760  .... 

248.  Table  and  Easy-chair,  1760-17  70 

249.  Tripod  Table,  1760-17 70 

250.  Chinese  Fret-work  Table,  1 760-1 7 70 

251.  Stands,  1760-1770        .... 

252.  Tea-table,  about  1770  ... 

253.  Chippendale  Card-table,  about  1765 

254.  Chippendale  Card-table,  1760 

255.  Chippendale  Card-table,  about  1765 

256.  Pembroke  Table,  1 760-1 770 

257.  Pembroke  Table,  1 780-1 790 

258.  Lacquer  Tea-tables,  1 700-1800     . 

259.  Hepplewhite  Card-table  with  Tea-tray,  1 785-1 790 

260.  Hepplewhite  Card-tables,  1 785-1 795    . 

261.  Sheraton  Card-table,  1800 

262.  Sheraton  Card-table,  1800-1810  . 

263.  Sheraton  "What-not,"  1800-1810 

264.  Sheraton  Dining-table  and  Chair,  about  1810 

265.  Sheraton  Work-table,  about  1800 

266.  Sheraton  Work-table,  1810-1815  . 

267.  Maple  and  Mahogany  Work-tables,  1810-1820 

268.  Work-table,  18 10 

269.  Work-table,  18 10 

270.  Hepplewhite  Dining-table,  1790   . 

271.  Pillar-and-claw  extension  Dining-table,  1800 

272.  Pillar-and-claw  Centre-table,  1800 

273.  Extension  Dining-table,  1810 

274.  Accordion  Extension  Dining-table,  1820 

275.  Card-table,  1805-1810 . 

276.  Phyfe  Card-table,  1810-1820 

277.  Phyfe  Card-table,  1810-1820 

278.  Phyfe  Sofa-table,  1810-1820 

279.  Pier-table,  1820-1830  . 

280.  Work-table,  1810-1820 
Looking-glass,  1 760-1 770 

281.  Stephen  Keene  Spinet,  about  1690 

282.  Thomas  Hitchcock  Spinet,  about  1690 

283.  Broadwood  Harpsichord,  1789 


List  of  Illustrations 


XVI 1 


ILLUS 

PAGE 

284. 

Clavichord,  1745 

.        288 

285. 

Clementi  Piano,  1805 

.        290 

286. 

Astor  Piano,  1 790-1800         .... 

.        292 

287. 

Clementi  Piano,  about  1820 

.        293 

288. 

Combination  Piano,  Desk,  and  Toilet-table,  abou 

t   1800        294 

289. 

Piano,  about  1830 

•        295 

290. 

Peter  Erben  Piano,  1826-1827 

.        296 

291. 

Piano-stool,  1820-1830          .... 

.        298 

292. 

Piano,  1826 

.        299 

293- 

Piano-stools,  1825-1830        .... 

.        300 

294. 

Table  Piano,  about  1835       . 

.        301 

295. 

Piano,  1830 

.        302 

296. 

Music-stand,  about  1835      . 

•        303 

297. 

Music-stand,  about  1835      . 

.        303 

298. 

Dulcimer,  1820-1830 

.        304 

299. 

Harmonica  or  Musical  Glasses,  about  1820 

•        305 

300. 

Music-stand,  1800-1810        .... 

.        306 

301. 

Music-case,  1810-1820          .... 

.        307 

302. 

Harp-shaped  Piano,  about  1800   .         .         .         . 

.        308 

303. 

Cottage  Piano,  or  Upright,  1800^1810 

.        309 

304- 

Chickering  Upright  Piano,  1830   .         .         .         . 

.        310 

305- 

Piano,  about  1840 

.        311 

306. 

Hawkey  Square  Piano,  about  1845 

.        312 

307. 

Harp,  1 780-1 790  .         .         .         .         . 

•        313 

Looking-glass,  1 785-1795      .... 

•        315 

308. 

Kitchen  Fireplace,  1760        .... 

.        316 

309- 

Andirons,  Eighteenth  Century      . 

.        317 

310. 

Andirons,  Eighteenth  Century      . 

•        317 

311- 

"Hessian"  Andirons,  1776   .... 

.        318 

312. 

Fireplace,  17  70-1 775 

•        319 

313- 

Steeple-topped  Andirons  and  Fender,  1 775-1790 

.        320 

314- 

Andirons,  Creepers  and  Fender,  1 700-1 800  . 

.        321 

315- 

Brass  Andirons,  1 700-1800  . 

.        322 

316. 

Brass-headed  Iron  Dogs,  1 700-1 800 

.        322 

317- 

Mantel  at  Mount  Vernon,  1760-17  70  . 

.       324 

318. 

Mantel  with  Hob-grate,  1776        .         •  /      • 

.        325 

319- 

Franklin  Stove,  1 745-1 760  .         .        /       . 
Iron  Fire-frame,  1 77 5-1 800  .        .     /. 

.        327 

320. 

.       328 

XVlll 


List  of  Illustrations 


321. 
322. 

324- 
325- 
326. 

327- 
328. 

329- 
330- 
331- 

334- 
335- 

337. 
338- 

339- 

340. 
341. 
342. 
343. 
344- 
345- 
346. 
347. 
348. 
349- 
350- 
351- 
352. 
353- 
354. 
355- 
356. 


Betty  Lamps,  Seventeenth  Century     . 
Candle-stands,  First  Half  of  Eighteenth  Century 
Mantel  with  Candle  Shade,  1 775-1800 
Candlesticks,  1 775-1800       .... 
Crystal  Chandelier,  about  1760    . 
Silver  Lamp  from  Mount  Vernon,  1 770-1800 
Glass  Chandelier  for  Candles,  1760 
Embroidered  Screen,  1780    .... 
Sconce  of  "Quill- work,"  1720 

Tripod  Screen,  1770 

Tripod  Screen,  1765 

Candle-stand  and  Screen,  1750-1775    . 

Chippendale  Candle-stand,  1760-17 70 

Bronze  Mantel  Lamps,  181 5-1840 

Brass  Gilt  Candelabra,  18 20-1 840 

Hall  Lantern,  1775-1800      .... 

Hall  Lantern,  1 775-1800      .... 

Hall  Lantern,  1 760 

Looking-glass,  First  Quarter  of  Eighteenth  Century 
Lantern  or  Bird-cage  Clock,  First  Half  of  Seventeenth 

Century 

Lantern  Clock,  about  1680  .... 
Friesland  Clock,  Seventeenth  Century 
Bracket  Clocks,  1 780-1 800  .... 
Walnut  Case  and  Lacquered  Case  Clocks,  about 
Gawen  Brown  Clock,  1765   . 
Ga wen  Brown  Clock,  1780   .... 

Maple  Clock,  1770 

Rittenhouse  Clock,  1770  .... 
Tall  Clock,  about  1770  .... 
Miniature  Clock  and  Tall  Clock,  about  1800 

Tall  Clock,  1 800-1 8 10 

Wall  Clocks,  1 800-1 82 5        .... 

Willard  Clock,  1784 

Willard  Clocks,  1800-1815    .... 

Hassam  Clock,  1800 

"Banjo"  Clock,  1802-1820  .... 
Presentation  Clock,  1805      .... 


1738 


List  of  Illustrations 


XIX 


357.  Banjo  Clock  or  Timepiece,  1802-1810 

358.  Willard  Timepiece,  1802-1810 

359.  Lyre  Clock,  1810-1820 

360.  Lyre-shaped  Clock,  1810-1820 

361.  Eli  Terry  Shelf  Clocks,  1824 

362.  French  Clock,  about  1800    , 
Looking-glass,  First  Quarter  of  the  Eighteenth  Century 

363.  Looking-glass,  1690 

364.  Looking-glass,  1690 

365.  Looking-glass,  about  1730 

366.  Pier  Glass  in  "Chinese  Taste,"  1760 

367.  Looking-glass,  about  1760 

368.  Looking-glass,  1 770-1 780 

369.  Looking-glass,  17 25-1 750 

370.  Looking-glass,  1 770-1 780 

371.  Mantel  Glass,  1725-17 50 

372.  Looking-glass,  1770 

373.  Looking-glass,  1770 

374.  Looking-glass,  1776 

375.  Looking-glass,  1780 

376.  Looking-glasses,  1 750-1 790 

377.  Looking-glass,  1790 

378.  Looking-glass,  1780 

379.  Enamelled  Mirror  Knobs,  17 70-1 790 

380.  Girandole,  17 70-1 780  . 

381.  Looking-glass,  Adam  Style,  1780 

382.  Looking-glass,  1790 
S8s.  Hepplewhite  Looking-glass,  1790. 

384.  Mantel  Glass,  1783 

385.  Looking-glass,  1 790-1800 

386.  "Bilboa  Glass,"  1770-1780 

387.  Mantel  Glass,  1790 

388.  Mantel  Glass,  1800-1810 

389.  Cheval  Glass,  1 830-1 840 

390.  Looking-glass,  181 0-1825 

391.  Looking-glass,  1810-1815 

392.  Looking-glass,  18 10-182 5 

393.  Pier  Glass,  1810-1825  . 


368 
369 
369 

370 
371 
372 
374 
375 
376 
378 
380 
382 
383 
384 
386 

387 
388 
388 
389 
390 
392 
393 
393 
394 
395 
396 
397 
398 
399 
400 
402 

403 
404 

405 
406 
407 
408 
409 


XX 


List  of  Illustrations 


ILLUS. 

394.  Looking-glass,  1810-1825      .         . 
Looking-glass 

395.  Doorway  and  Mantel,  Cook-Oliver  House 

396.  Doorway,  Dalton  House 

397.  Mantel,  Dalton  House 

398.  Mantel,  Dalton  House 

399.  Hall  and  Stairs,  Dalton  House 

400.  Mantel,  Penny-Hallett  House 

401.  Doorway,  Parker-Inches-Emery  House 

402.  Mantel,  Lee  Mansion  .... 

403.  Landing  and  Stairs,  Lee  Mansion 

404.  Stairs,  Harrison  Gray  Otis  House 

405.  Mantel,  Harrison  Gray  Otis  House 

406.  Stairs,  Robinson  House 

407.  Stairs,  Allen  House       .... 

408.  Balusters  and  Newel,  Oak  Hill 

409.  Stairs,  Sargent-Murray-Gilman  House 

410.  Mantel,  Sargent-Murray-Gilman  House 

411.  Mantel,  Kimball  House 

412.  Mantel,  Lindall-Barnard- Andrews  House 

413.  Doorway,  Larkin-Richter  House 

414.  Doorway,  "Octagon" 

415.  Mantel,  "Octagon" 

416.  Mantel,  Schuyler  House 

417.  Mantel  and  Doorways,  Manor  Hall 

418.  Mantel  and  Doorways,  Manor  Hall 

419.  Mantel,  Manor  Hall     . 

420.  Doorway,  Independence  Hall 

421.  Stairs,  Graeme  Park     . 

422.  Mantel  and  Doorways,  Graeme  Park 

423.  Doorway,  Chase  House 

424.  Entrance  and  Stairs,  Cliveden 

425.  Mantel,  Cliveden 

426.  Fretwork  Balustrade,  Garrett  House 

427.  Stairs,  Valentine  Museum    . 

428.  Mantel,  Myers  House  . 


FURNITURE 
OF  THE  OLDEN  TIME 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


INTRODUCTION 

rHE  furniture  of  the  American  colonies  was 
at  first  of  English  manufacture,  but  before 
long  cabinet-makers  and  joiners  plied  their 
trade  in  New  England,  and  much  of  the 
furniture  now  found  there  was  made  by  the  colonists. 
In  New  Amsterdam,  naturally,  a  different  style  pre- 
vailed, and  the  furniture  was  Dutch.  As  time  went 
on  and  the  first  hardships  were  surmounted,  money 
became  more  plentiful,  until  by  the  last  half  of  the 
seventeenth  century  much  fine  furniture  was  im- 
ported from  England  and  Holland,  and  from  that 
time  fashions  in  America  were  but  a  few  months 
behind  those  in  England. 

In  the  earliest  colonial  times  the  houses  were  but 
sparsely  furnished,  although  Dr.  Holmes  writes  of 
leaving  — 

"The  Dutchman's  shore, 
With  those  that  in  the  Mayflower  came,  a  hundred  souls  or  more, 
Along  with  all  the  furniture  to  fill  their  new  abodes. 
To  judge  by  what  is  still  on  hand,  at  least  a  hundred  loads." 

If  one  were  to  accept  as  authentic  all  the  legends 
told  of  various  pieces,  —  chairs,  tables,  desks,  spinets, 
and  even  pianos,  —  Dr.  Holmes's  estimate  would  be 
too  moderate. 


2  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

The  first  seats  in  general  use  were  forms  or 
benches,  not  more  than  one  or  two  chairs  belonging 
to  each  household.  The  first  tables  were  long 
boards  placed  upon  trestles.  Chests  were  found 
in  almost  every  house,  and  bedsteads,  of  course, 
were  a  necessity.  After  the  first  chairs,  heavy  and 
plain  or  turned,  with  strong  braces  or  stretchers 
between  the  legs,  came  the  leather-covered  chairs 
of  Dutch  origin,  sometimes  called  Cromwell  chairs, 
followed  by  the  Flemish  cane  chairs  and  couches. 
This  takes  us  to  the  end  of  the  seventeenth  century. 
During  that  period  tables  with  turned  legs  fastened 
to  the  top  had  replaced  the  earliest  "table  borde" 
upon  trestles,  and  the  well-known  "hundred  legged" 
or  "forty  legged"  table  had  come  into  use. 

Cupboards  during  the  seventeenth  century  were 
made  of  oak  ornamented  in  designs  similar  to  those 
upon  oak  chests.  Sideboards  with  drawers  were  not 
used  in  this  country  until  much  later,  although 
there  is  one  of  an  early  period  in  the  South  Ken- 
sington Museum,  made  of  oak,  with  turned  legs, 
and  with  drawers  beneath  the  top. 

Desks  were  in  use  from  the  middle  of  the  seven- 
teenth century,  made  first  of  oak  and  later  of  cherry 
and  walnut.  Looking-glasses  were  owned  by  the 
wealthy,  and  clocks  appear  in  inventories  of  the 
latter  part  of  the  century.  Virginals  were  mentioned 
during  the  seventeenth  century,  and  spinets  were 
not  uncommon  in  the  century  following. 

With  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century 
came  the  strong  influence  of  Dutch  fashions,  and 
chairs  and  tables  were  made  with  the  Dutch  cabriole 


Introduction  3 

or  bandy  leg,  sometimes  with  the  shell  upon  the 
knee,  and  later  with  the  claw-and-ball  foot.  Dutch 
high  chests  with  turned  legs  had  been  in  use  before 
this,  and  the  high  chest  with  bandy  legs  like  the 
chairs  and  tables  soon  became  a  common  piece  of 
furniture.  With  other  Dutch  fashions  came  that  of 
lacquering  furniture  with  Chinese  designs,  and  tables, 
scrutoirs  or  desks,  looking-glass  frames,  stands,  and 
high  chests  were  ornamented  in  this  manner. 

The  wood  chiefly  used  in  furniture  was  oak,  until 
about  1675,  when  American  black  walnut  came  into 
use,  and  chests  of  drawers,  tables,  and  chairs  were 
made  of  it;  it  was  the  wood  oftenest  employed  in 
veneer  at  that  time. 

Sheraton  wrote  in  1803  :  "There  are  three  species 
of  walnut  tree,  the  English  walnut,  and  the  white 
and  black  Virginia.  Hickory  is  reckoned  to  class 
with  the  white  Virginia  walnut.  The  black  Vir- 
ginia was  much  in  use  for  cabinet  work  about  forty 
or  fifty  years  since  in  England,  but  is  now  quite  laid 
by  since  the  introduction  of  mahogany." 

Mahogany  was  discovered  by  Sir  Walter  Raleigh 
in  1595.  The  first  mention  of  its  use  in  this 
country  is  in  1708.  Mr.  G.  T.  Robinson,  in  the 
London  Art  Journal  of  1881,  says  that  its  first  use 
in  England  was  in  1720,  when  some  planks  of  it 
were  brought  to  Dr.  Gibbon  by  a  West  India 
captain.  The  wood  was  pronounced  too  hard,  and 
it  was  not  until  Mrs.  Gibbon  wanted  a  candle-box 
that  any  use  was  made  of  the  planks,  and  then  only 
because  the  obstinate  doctor  insisted  upon  it.  When 
the  candle-box  was  finished,  a  bureau  {i.e,  desk)  was 


4  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

made  of  the  wood,  which  was  greatly  admired,  and 
as  Mr.  Robinson  says,  "Dr.  Gibbon's  obstinacy  and 
Mrs.  Gibbon's  candle-box  revolutionized  English 
household  furniture ;  for  the  system  of  construction 
and  character  of  design  were  both  altered  by  its  in- 
troduction." It  is  probable  that  furniture  had  been 
made  in  England  of  mahogany  previous  to  1720, 
but  that  may  be  the  date  when  it  became  fashion- 
able. 

The  best  mahogany  came  from  Santiago,  Mexi- 
can mahogany  being  soft,  and  Honduras  mahogany 
coarse-grained. 

The  earliest  English  illustrated  book  which  in- 
cluded designs  for  furniture  was  published  by 
William  Jones  in  1739.  Chippendale's  first  book 
of  designs  was  issued  in  1754.  He  was  followed 
by  Ince  and  Mayhew,  whose  book  was  undated; 
Thomas   Johnson  —  1758  ;     Sir   William    Chambers 

—  1760;  Society  of  Upholsterers  —  about  1760; 
Matthias  Lock — 1765;  Robert  Manwaring  — 
1766;  Matthias  Darly — 1773;  Robert  and 
J.  Adam  —  1773;  Thomas  Shearer  (in  "The 
Cabinet-makers'  London  Book  of  Prices")  —  1788; 
A.  Hepplewhite  &  Co.  —  1789;    Thomas  Sheraton 

—  1791-1793  and  1803. 

Sir  William  Chambers  in  his  early  youth  made  a 
voyage  to  China,  and  it  is  to  his  influence  that  we 
can  attribute  much  of  the  rage  for  Chinese  furniture 
and  decoration  which  was  in  force  about  1760  to  1770. 

Thomas  Chippendale  lived  and  had  his  shop  in 
St.  Martin's  Lane,  London.  Beyond  that  we  know 
but  little  of  his  life.     His  book,  "The  Gentleman's 


Introduction  5 

and  Cabinet-Maker's  Director,"  was  published  in 
1754,  at  a  cost  of  £3.13.6  per  copy.  The  second 
edition  followed  in  1759,  and  the  third  in  1762.  It 
contains  one  hundred  and  sixty  copper  plates,  the 
first  twenty  pages  of  which  are  taken  up  with  designs 
for  chairs,  and  it  is  largely  as  a  chair-maker  that 
Chippendale's  name  has  become  famous.  His  fur- 
niture combines  French,  Gothic,  Dutch,  and  Chinese 
styles,  but  so  great  was  his  genius  that  the  effect  is 
thoroughly  harmonious,  while  he  exercised  the  great- 
est care  in  the  construction  of  his  furniture  —  espe- 
cially chairs.  He  was  beyond  everything  a  carver, 
and  his  designs  show  a  wealth  of  delicate  carving. 
He  used  no  inlay  or  painting,  as  others  had  done 
before  him,  and  as  others  did  after  him,  and  only 
occasionally  did  he  employ  gilding,  lacquer,  or  brass 
ornamentation. 

Robert  and  James  Adam  were  architects,  trained 
in  the  classics.  Their  furniture  was  distinctly  clas- 
sical, and  was  designed  for  rooms  in  the  Greek  or 
Roman  style.  Noted  painters  assisted  them  in 
decorating  the  rooms  and  the  furniture,  and  Per- 
golesi,  Angelica  Kaufmann,  and  Cipriani  did  not 
scorn  to  paint  designs  upon  satinwood  furniture. 

Matthias  Lock  and  Thomas  Johnson  were  nota- 
ble as  designers  of  frames  for  pier  glasses,  ovals, 
girandoles,  etc. 

Thomas  Shearer's  name  was  signed  to  the  best 
designs  of  those  published  in  1788  in  "The  Cabinet- 
Makers'  Book  of  Prices."  His  drawings  comprise 
tables  of  various  sorts,  dressing-chests,  writing-desks, 
and  sideboards,  but  there  is  not  one  chair  among 


6  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

them.  He  was  the  first  to  design  the  form  of  side- 
board with  which  we  are  familiar. 

As  Chippendale's  name  is  used  to  designate  the 
furniture  of  1 750-1 780,  so  the  furniture  of  the  suc- 
ceeding period  may  be  called  Hepplewhite ;  for  al- 
though he  was  one  of  several  cabinet-makers  who 
worked  together,  his  is  the  best-known  name,  and 
his  was  probably  the  most  original  genius.  His 
chairs  bear  no  resemblance  to  those  of  Chippendale, 
and  are  lighter  and  more  graceful ;  but  because  of 
the  attention  he  paid  to  those  qualifications,  strength 
of  construction  and  durability  were  neglected.  His 
chair-backs  have  no  support  beside  the  posts  which 
extend  up  from  the  back  legs,  and  upon  these  the 
shield  or  heart-shaped  back  rests  in  such  a  manner 
that  it  could  endure  but  little  strain. 

Hepplewhite's  sideboards  were  admirable  in  form 
and  decoration,  and  it  is  from  them  and  his  chairs 
that  his  name  is  familiar  in  this  country.  His  swell 
or  serpentine  front  bureaus  were  copied  in  great 
numbers  here. 

His  specialty  was  the  inlaying  or  painting  with 
which  his  furniture  was  enriched.  Satinwood  had 
been  introduced  from  India  shortly  before  this,  and 
tables,  chairs,  sideboards,  and  bureaus  were  inlaid 
with  this  wood  upon  mahogany,  while  small  pieces 
were  veneered  entirely  with  it.  The  same  artists 
who  assisted  the  Adam  brothers  painted  medallions, 
wreaths  of  flowers  or  arabesque  work  upon  Hepple- 
white's satinwood  furniture.  Not  much  of  this 
painted  furniture  came  to  this  country,  but  the 
fashion  was  followed  by  our  ancestresses,  who  were 


Introduction  7 

taught,  among  other  accomplishments,  to  paint 
flowers  and  figures  upon  light  wood  furniture, 
tables  and  screens  being  the  pieces  usually  chosen 
for  decoration. 

Thomas  Sheraton  published  in  1791  and  1793, 
"The  Cabinet-Maker  and  Upholsterer's  Drawing 
Book";  in  1803,  his  "Cabinet  Dictionary";  in 
1804,  "Designs  for  Household  Furniture,"  and 
"The  Cabinet-Maker,  Upholsterer,  and  General 
Artist's  Encyclopedia,"  which  was  left  unfinished 
in  1807. 

"The  Cabinet-Maker  and  Upholsterer's  Draw- 
ing Book"  is  largely  taken  up  with  drawings  and 
remarks  upon  perspective,  which  are  hopelessly  un- 
intelligible. His  instructions  for  making  the  pieces 
designed  are  most  minute,  and  it  is  probably  due  to 
this  circumstantial  care  that  Sheraton's  furniture, 
light  as  it  looks,  has  lasted  in  good  condition  for  a 
hundred  years  or  more. 

Sheraton's  chairs  differ  from  Hepplewhite's,  which 
they  resemble  in  many  respects,  in  the  construction 
of  the  backs,  which  are  usually  square,  with  the  back 
legs  extending  to  the  top  rail,  and  the  lower  rail 
joining  the  posts  a  few  inches  above  the  seat.  The 
backs  were  ornamented  with  carving,  inlaying,  paint- 
ing, gilding,  and  brass.  The  lyre  was  a  favorite 
design,  and  it  appears  in  his  chair-backs  and  in  the 
supports  for  tables,  often  with  the  strings  made  of 
brass  wire. 

Sheraton's  sideboards  are  similar  to  those  of 
Shearer  and  Hepplewhite,  but  are  constructed  with 
more  attention  to  the  utilitarian  side,  with  sundry 


8  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

conveniences,  and  with  the  fluted  legs  which  Sher- 
aton generally  uses.  His  designs  show  sideboards 
also  with  ornamental  brass  rails  at  the  back,  holding 
candelabra. 

His  desks  and  writing-tables  are  carefully  and 
minutely  described,  so  that  the  manifold  combina- 
tions and  contrivances  can  be  accurately  made. 

Sheraton's  later  furniture  was  heavy  and  generally 
ugly,  following  the  Empire  fashions,  and  his  fame 
rests  upon  the  designs  in  his  first  book.  He  was 
the  last  of  the  great  English  cabinet-makers,  although 
he  had  many  followers  in  England  and  in  America. 

After  the  early  years  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
the  fashionable  furniture  was  in  the  heavy,  clumsy 
styles  which  were  introduced  with  the  Empire,  until 
the  period  of  ugly  black  walnut  furniture  which  is 
familiar  to  us  all. 

While  there  have  always  been  a  few  who  collected 
antique  furniture,  the  general  taste  for  collecting 
began  with  the  interest  kindled  by  the  Centennial 
Exposition  in  1876.  Not  many  years  ago  the  col- 
lector of  old  furniture  and  china  was  jeered  at,  and 
one  who  would,  even  twenty  years  since,  buy  an  old 
"high-boy"  rather  than  a  new  black  walnut  chif- 
fonier, was  looked  upon  as  "queer."  All  that  is 
now  changed.  The  chiffonier  is  banished  for  the 
high-boy,  when  the  belated  collector  can  secure  one, 
and  the  influence  of  antique  furniture  may  be  seen 
in  the  immense  quantity  of  new  furniture  modelled 
after  the  antique  designs,  but  not  made,  alas,  with 
the  care  and  thought  for  durability  which  were 
bestowed  upon  furniture  by  the  old  cabinet-makers. 


Introduction  9 

Heaton  says:  "It  appears  to  require  about  a 
century  for  the  wheel  of  fashion  to  make  one 
complete  revolution..  What  our  great-grandfather 
bought  and  valued  (1750-1790) ;  what  our  grand- 
fathers despised  and  neglected  (i 790-1 820) ;  what 
our  fathers  utterly  forgot  (1820-1850),  we  value, 
restore,  and  copy!" 

Since  the  publication  of  this  book  in  1902,  many 
old  houses  in  this  country  have  been  restored  by^ 
different  societies  interested  in  the  preservation  of 
antiquities.  These  historic  houses  have  been  care- 
fully and  suitably  furnished,  thus  carrying  out  what 
should  be  our  patriotic  duty,  the  gathering  and  pre- 
serving of  everything  connected  with  our  history  and 
life.  Thus  much  furniture  has  been  rescued,  not 
only  from  unmerited  oblivion,  but  from  probable 
destruction. 


CHAPTER   I 


CHESTS,    CHESTS   OF   DRAWERS,   AND   DRESSING-TABLES 


rHE  chest  was  a 
most  important 
piece  of  furniture 
in  households  of 
the  sixteenth  and  seven- 
teenth centuries.  It  served 
as  table,  seat,  or  trunk, 
besides  its  accepted  pur- 
pose to  hold  valuables  of 
various  kinds. 

Chests  are  mentioned  in 
the  earliest  colonial  inven- 
tories.    Ship  chests,  board 
chests,  joined  chests,  wain- 
scot chests  with  drawers, 
and  carved  chests  are  some 
of   the    entries ;     but    the 
larger  portion   are   inven- 
toried simply  as  chests. 
All  woodwork  —  chests,  stools,  or  tables  —  which 
was  framed  together,  chiefly  with  mortise  and  tenon, 
was  called  joined,  and  joined  chests  and  wainscot 
chests    were    probably    terms    applied    to    panelled 

10 


Chests,  Chests  of  Drawers,  Dressing-tables     ii 

chests  to  distinguish  them  from  those  of  plain  boards, 
which  were  common  in  every  household,  and  which 
were  brought  to  this  country  on  the  ships  with  the 
colonists,  holding  their  scanty  possessions. 

The  oldest  carved  chests  were  made  without 
drawers  beneath,  and  were  carved  in  low  relief  in 
designs  which  appear  upon  other  pieces  of  oak  fur- 
niture of  the  same  period. 


Illus.  1.  — Oak  Chest,  about  1650. 

Illustration  i  shows  a  chest  now  in  Memorial 
Hall,  at  Deerfield,  which  was  taken  from  the  house 
where  the  Indians  made  their  famous  attack  in  1704. 
The  top  of  the  chest  is  missing,  and  the  feet,  which 
were  continuations  of  the  stiles,  are  worn  away  or 
sawed  off.  The  design  and  execution  of  the  carving 
are  unusually  fine,  combining  several  different  pat- 
terns, all  of  an  early  date.  Chests  were  carved  in 
the  arch  design  with  three  or  four  panels,  but  seldom 
as  elaborately  as  this,  which  was  probably  made 
before  1650. 

Illustration  2  shows  a  remarkable  chest  now 
owned  by  Mrs.    Caroline    Foote  Marsh    of    Clare- 


12  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

mont-on-the-James,  Virginia.  Until  recently  it  has 
remained  in  the  family  of  D'Olney  Stuart,  whose 
ancestor,  of  the  same  name,  was  said  to  be  of  the 
royal  Stuart  blood,  and  who  brought  it  with  him 
when  he  fled  to  Virginia  after  the  beheading  of 
Charles  I. 

The  feet  have  been  recently  added,  and  should  be 
large  balls  ;  otherwise  the  chest  is  original  in  every 
respect.  It  is  made  entirely  of  olive-wood,  the  body 
being  constructed  of  eight-inch  planks.  The  deco- 
ration is  produced  with  carving  and  burnt  work. 
Upon  the  inside  of  the  lid  are  three  panels,  the 
centre  one  containing  a  portrait  in  burnt  work 
of  James  I.  with  his  little  dog  by  his  side.  The 
two  side  panels  portray  the  Judgment  of  Solomon, 
the  figures  being  clad  in  English  costumes  ;  in  the  left 
panel  the  two  kneeling  women  claim  the  child ;  in 
the  right  the  child  is  held  up  for  the  executioner  to 
carry  out  Solomon's  command  to  cut  it  in  two.  The 
outside  of  the  lid  has  the  Stuart  coat  of  arms  burnt 
upon  it.  Upon  the  front  of  the  chest  are  four 
knights,  and  between  them  are  three  panels,  sur- 
rounded by  a  moulding,  which  is  now  missing 
around  the  middle  panel.  These  three  panels  are 
carved  and  burnt  with  views  of  castles  ;  and  around 
the  lock,  above  the  middle  panel,  are  carved  the 
British  lions  supporting  the  royal  coat  of  arms. 
The  chest  measures  six  feet  in  length  and  is  twenty- 
four  inches  high. 

Chests  with  drawers  are  mentioned  as  early  as 
1650,  and  the  greater  number  of  chests  found  in 
New  England  have  one  or  two  drawers. 


14  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

Illustration  3  shows  a  chest  with  one  drawer 
owned  by  the  Connecticut  Historical  Society,  made 
about  1660.  There  is  no  carving  upon  this  chest, 
which  is  panelled  and  ornamented  with  turned  spin- 
dles and  drops.  The  stiles  are  continued  below  the 
chest  to  form  the  feet. 


Illus.  3.  —  Panelled  Chest  with  One  Drawer,  about  1660. 

A  chest  with  two  drawers  is  shown  in  Illustration 
4,  made  probably  in  Connecticut,  as  about  fifty  of 
this  style  have  been  found  there,  chiefly  in  Hartford 
County.  The  top,  back,  and  bottom  are  of  pine, 
the  other  portions  of  the  chest  being  of  American 
oak.  The  design  of  the  carving  is  similar  upon  all 
these  chests,  and  the  turned  drop  ornament  upon 
the  stiles,  and  the  little  egg-shaped  pieces  upon  the 
drawers,  appear  upon  all.  They  have  been  found 
with  one  or  two  drawers  or  none,  but  usually  with 
two.     This  chest  is  in  Memorial  Hall,  at  Deerfield. 


Chests,  Chests  of  Drawers,  Dressing-tables     15 

A  chest  with  two  drawers  owned  by  Charles  R. 
Waters,  Esq.,  of  Salem,  is  shown  in  Illustration  5. 
The  mouldings  upon  the  front  of  the  frame  are  carved 
in  a  simple  design.  The  wood  in  the  centre  of  the 
panels  is  stained  a  dark  color,  the  spindles  and 
mouldings  being  of  oak  like  the  rest  of  the  chest. 


T 


l£ 


^ 


1 


^^^^    ^00  >||r    g  o  g       ^ 


y  0  VI 


-^^v  ? 

i^^ 


^cijla,.  ^.^ 


<Q       %S 


Illus.  4.  — Oak  Chest  with  Two  Drawers,  about  1675. 

A  nuniber  of  chests  carved  in  a  manner  not  seen 
elsewhere  have  been  found  in  and  about  Hadley, 
Massachusetts,  and  this  has  given  them  the  name  of 
Hadley  chests.  The  carving  in  all  is  similar,  upon 
the  front  only,  the  ends  being  panelled,  and  all  have 
three  panels  above  the  drawers,  with  initials  carved 


i6 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


in  the  middle  panel.  The  other  two  panels  have  a 
conventionalized  tulip  design,  which  is  carved  upon 
the  rest  of  the  front,  in  low  relief.  The  carving 
is  usually  stained  while  the  background  is  left  the 
natural  color  of  the  wood. 

Illustration    6    shows    a    Hadley   chest   with   one 
drawer  owned  by  Dwight  M.  Prouty,  Esq.,  of  Boston. 


Panelled  Chest  with  Two  Drawers, 
about  1675. 


Carved  chests  with  three  drawers  are  rarely  found 
in  any  design,  although  the  plain  board  chests  were 
made  with  that  number. 

Illustration  7  and  Illustration  8  show  chests 
mounted  upon  frames.  Illustration  8  stands  thirty- 
two  inches  high  and  is  thirty  inches  wide,  and  is  made 
of  oak,  with  one  drawer.  It  is  in  the  collection  of 
Charles  R.  Waters,  Esq.,  of  Salem.     Illustration  7 


Chests,  Chests  of  Drawers,  Dressing-tables    17 

Is  slightly  taller,  with  one  drawer.  This  chest  is  in 
the  collection  of  the  late  Major  Ben:  Perley  Poore, 
at  Indian  Hill.  Such  chests  upon  frames  are  rarely 
found,  and  by  some  they  are  supposed  to  have  been 
made  for  use  as  desks ;  but  it  seems  more  probable 
that  they  were  simple  chests  for  linen,  taking  the 


Illus.  6.  —  Carved  Chest  with  One  Drawer,  about  1700. 

place  of  the  high  chest  of  drawers  which  was  gradu- 
ally coming  into  fashion  during  the  latter  half  of 
the  seventeenth  century,  and  possibly  being  its  fore- 
runner. Chests  continued  in  manufacture  and  in 
use  until  after  1700,  but  they  were  probably  not 
made  later  than  1720  in  any  numbers,  as  several 
years  previous  to  that  date  they  were  inventoried  as 
"old,"  a  word  which  was  as  condemnatory  in  those 
years  as  now,  as  far  as  the  fashions  were  concerned. 
Chests  of  drawers  appear  in  inventories  about 
c 


i8 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


1645.     They  were  usually  made  of  oak  and  were 
similar  in  design  to  the  chests  of  that  period. 

The  oak  chest  of  drawers  in  Illustration  9  is 
owned  by  E.  R.  Lemon,  Esq.,  of  the  Wayside  Inn, 
Sudbury.  It  has  four  drawers,  and  the  decoration  is 
simply  panelling.  The  feet  are  the  large  balls  which 
were  used  upon  chests  finished  with  a  deep  mould- 
ing at  the  lower  edge.     The  drop  handles  are  of  an 


Illus.  7  and  Illus.  8.  —  Panelled  Chests  upon  Frames, 
1670-1700. 


unusual  design,  the  drop  being  of  bell-flower  shape. 
This  chest  of  drawers  was  found  in  Maiden. 

Illustration  la  shows  a  very  fine  oak  chest  of 
four  drawers,  owned  by  Dwight  M.  Prouty,  Esq., 
of  Boston.  The  spindles  upon  this  chest  are  un- 
usually good,  especially  the  large  spindles  upon 
the  stiles.  There  is  a  band  of  simple  carving  be- 
tween the  drawers.  The  ends  are  panelled  and 
the  handles  are  wooden  knobs. 


Chests,  Chests  of  Drawers,  Dressing-tables    19 

From  the  time  that  high  chests  of  drawers  were 
introduced,  during  the  last  part  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  the  use  of  oak  in  furniture  gradually  ceased, 
and  its  place  was  taken  by  walnut  or  cherry,  and 
later  by  mahogany.     With  the  disuse  of  oak  came 


Illus  9.  —  Panelled  Chest  of  Drawers,  about  1680. 


a  change  in  the  style  of  chests,  which  were  no  longer 
made  in  the  massive  panelled  designs  of  earlier  years. 
The  moulding  around  the  drawers  is  somewhat 
of  a  guide  to  the  age  of  a  piece  of  furniture.  The 
earliest  moulding  was  large  and  single,  upon  the 
frame  around  the  drawers.     The  next  moulding  con- 


20 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


sisted  of  two  strips,  forming  a  double  moulding. 
These  strips  were  in  some  cases  separated  by  a  plain 
band  about  half  an  inch  in  width.     Later  still,  upon 


Illus.   10.  — Panelled  Chest  of  Drawers,  about  1680. 


block  front  pieces  a  small  single  moulding  bordered 
the  frame  around  the  drawers,  while  upon  Hepple- 
white  and  Sheraton  furniture  the  moulding  was  upon 
the  drawer  itself.     Early  in  the  eighteenth  century, 


Chests,  Chests  of  Drawers,  Dressing-tables    21 


about  1720,  high  chests  were 
made  with  no  moulding 
about  the  drawers,  the  edges 
of  which  lapped  over  the 
frame. 

Another  guide  to  the  age 
of  a  piece  of  furniture  made 
with  drawers  is  found  in  the 
brass  handles,  which  are 
shown  in  Illustration  1 1  in 
the  different  styles  in  use 
from  1675.  The  handle  and 
escutcheon  lettered  A,  called 
a  "drop  handle,"  was  used 
upon  six-legged  high  chests, 
and  sometimes  upon  chests. 
The  drop  may  be  solid  or 
hollowed  out  in  the  back. 
The  shape  of  the  plate  and 
escutcheon  varies,  being 
round,  diamond,  or  shield 
shaped,  cut  in  curves  or 
points  upon  the  edges,  and 
generally  stamped.  It  is 
fastened  to  the  drawer  front 
by  a  looped  wire,  the  ends 
of  which  pass  through  a  hole 
in  the  wood  and  are  bent  in 
the  inside  of  the  drawer. 

A  handle  and  escutcheon  of 
lettered  B.  They  are  found  u 
early  bandy-legged  high  chests. 


Illustration  11. 


the  next  style   are 

pon   six-legged   and 

The  plate  of  the 


22 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


handle  is  of  a  type  somewhat  earlier  than  the  es- 
cutcheon.    Both  are  stamped,  and  the  bail  of  the 

handle  is  fastened 
with  looped  wires. 
Letter  C  shows 
the  earliest  styles 
of  handles  with 
the  bail  fastened 
into  bolts  which 
screw  into  the 
drawer.  Letters 
D,  E,  and  F  give 
the  succeeding 
styles  of  brass 
handles,  the  de- 
sign growing  more 
elaborate  and  in- 
creasing in  size. 
These  are  found 
upon  desks,  chests 
of  drawers,  com- 
modes, and  other 
pieces  of  furni- 
ture of  the  Chip- 
pendale period. 

The  earliest 
form  of  high  chest 
of  drawers  had  six 
turned  legs,  four 
in  front  and  two  in  the  back,  with  stretchers  between 
the  legs,  and  was  of  Dutch  origin,  as  well  as  the  high 
chest  with  bandy  or  cabriole  legs,  which  was  some 


lllus, 


Six-legged  High  Chest  of  Drawers 
1705-1715. 


Chests,  Chests  of  Drawers,  Dressing-tables    23 


years  later  in  date.  Six-legged  chests  were  made 
during  the  last  quarter  of  the  seventeenth  century, 
and  were  usually  of  walnut,  either  solid  or  veneered 
upon  pine  or  whitewood ;  other  woods  were  rarely 
employed.  The  earliest  six-legged  chests  were  made 
with  the  single  moulding  upon  the  frame  about  the 
drawers,  and  with  two  drawers  at  the  top,  which  was 
always  flat,  as  the  broken  arch  did  not  appear  in 
furniture  until  about  1730.  The  lower  part  had 
but  one  long  drawer,  and 


of 


m    a 


the  lower 
single 


Illus.  13.  —  Walnut  Dressing-table, 
about  1700. 


the  curves 
edge  were 
arch. 

The  six-legged  high 
chest  of  drawers  in  Illus- 
tration 12  belongs  to 
F.  A.  Robart,  Esq.,  of 
Boston.  It  is  veneered 
with  the  walnut  burl  and 
is  not  of  the  earliest  type 
of  the  six-legged  chest, 
but     was     made     about 

1705-1715.  The  handles  are  the  drop  handles 
shown  in  letter  A,  and  the  moulding  upon  the 
frame  around  the  drawers  is  double.  There  is  a 
shallow  drawer  in  the  heavy  cornice  at  the  top,  and 
the  lower  part  contains  three  drawers. 

Dressing-tables  were  made  to  go  with  these  chests 
of  drawers,  but  with  four  instead  of  six  legs.  Their 
tops  were  usually  veneered,  and  they  were,  like  the 
high  chests,  finished  with  a  small  beading  around 
the  curves  of  the  lower  edge. 


24 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


The  dressing-table  in  Illustration  13  also  belongs 
to  Mr.  Robart,  and  shows  the  style  in  which  that 
piece  of  furniture  was  made. 

The  names  "high-boy"  and  "low-boy"  or  "high- 
daddy"  and  "low-daddy"  are  not  mentioned  in 
old   records   and   were   probably   suggested   by   the 


Illus.  14. —  Dressing-table,  1720. 


appearance  of  the  chests  mounted  upon  their  high 
legs.^ 

High  chests,  both  six-legged  and  bandy-legged, 
with  their  dressing-tables  were  sometimes  decorated 
with  the  lacquering  which  was  so  fashionable  during 
the  first  part  of  the  eighteenth  century. 

Illustration  14  shows  a  dressing-table  or  low-boy 


Chests,  Chests  of  Drawers,  Dressing-tables    25 

from  the  Bolles  collection  in  the  Metropolitan 
Museum  of  Art.  It  is  covered  with  japanning, 
in  Chinese  designs.  This  dressing-table  is  the 
companion  to  a  lacquered  high-boy,  with  a  flat 
top,  in  the  Bolles  collection.  The  handle  is  like 
letter  C,  in  Illustration  11.  That  and  the  mould- 
ing around  the  drawers  place  its  date  about  1720. 

Coming  originally  from  the  Orient,  japanned 
furniture  became  fashionable,  and  consequently 
the  process  of  lacquering  or  japanning  was  prac- 
tised by  cabinet-makers  in  France  and  England 
about  1700,  and  soon  after  in  this  country. 

The  earliest  high  chests  with  cabriole  or  bandy 
legs  are  flat-topped,  and  have  two  short  drawers, 
like  the  six-legged  chests,  at  the  top.  They  are 
made  of  walnut,  or  of  pine  veneered  with  walnut. 
The  curves  at  the  lower  edge  are  similar  to  those 
upon  six-legged  chests  and  are  occasionally  finished 
with  a  small  bead-moulding. 

The  bandy-legged  high-boy  in  Illustration  15  is 
owned  by  Dwight  Blaney,  Esq.  It  is  veneered  with 
walnut  and  has  a  line  of  whitewood  inlaid  around 
each  drawer.  The  moulding  upon  the  frame  sur- 
rounding the  drawers  is  the  separated  double  mould- 
ing, and  the  handles  are  of  the  early  stamped  type 
shown  in  Illustration  11,  letter  B.  The  arrangement 
of  drawers  in  both  lower  and  upper  parts  is  the  same 
as  in  six-legged  chests.  A  reminder  of  the  fifth 
and  sixth  legs  is  left  in  the  turned  drops  between  the 
curves  of  the  lower  edge. 

Steps  to  display  china  or  earthenware  were  in  use 
during  the  second  quarter  of  the  eighteenth  century. 


26 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


They  were  generally  movable  pieces,  made  like  the 
steps  in  Illustration   15,  in  two  or  three  tiers,  the 

lower  tier  smaller 
than  the  top  of  the 
high  chest,  forming 
with  the  chest-top 
a  set  of  graduated 
shelves  upon  the 
front  and  sides. 

The  broken  arch, 
which  had  been  used 
in  chimney  pieces 
during  the  seven- 
teenth century,  made 
its  appearance  upon 
furniture  in  the  early 
years  of  the  eigh- 
teenth century,  and 
the  handsomest 
chests  were  made 
with  the  broken  arch 
top. 

A  lacquered  or 
japanned  high-boy  in 
the  Bolles  collection, 
owned  by  the  Metro- 
politan Museum  of 
Art,  is  shown  in  Illus- 
tration 16.  It  is  of 
later  date  than  the 
lacquered  dressing-table  in  Illustration  14,  having 
the    broken    arch.     The    lacquering    is    inferior    in 


Ulus.  15.  —  Cabriole-legged  High  Chest 
of  Drawers  with  China  Steps,  about 
1720. 


Chests,  Chests  of  Drawers,  Dressing-tables    27 


fS^^m;  ]  -5*^21^ 


lfiCAt>r 


design  to  that  upon  the  dressing-table,  and  at  the 
top  is  a  scroll  design  following  the  outline  of  the 
top    drawers    and 


the  moulding  of 
the  broken  arch. 
A  large  and  a  small 
fan  are  lacquered 
upon  the  lower 
middle  drawer, 
and  on  the  upper 
one  is  a  funny  little 
pagoda  top,  with 
a  small  fan,  both 
in  lacquer.  The 
handles  are  of  an 
early  type,  and  the 
moulding  around 
the  drawers  is  a 
double  separated 
one.  Such  ja- 
panned pieces  are 
rare  and  of  great 
value. 

A  fine  high  chest 
is  shown  in  Illus- 
tration 17,  from 
the  Warner  house 
in  Portsmouth. 
It  is  of  walnut 
and      is      inlaid 


^    f-tP...i*<-«iK...i 


"  ..Al 


i     ^  -V.     Jf    } 


Illus.  16.  — Lacquered  High-boy,   1730. 


around  each  drawer.     The  upper  middle  drawer  is 
inlaid    in  a    design   of  pillars    with   the    rising    sun 


28 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


between    them,    and   below   the   sun   are   inlaid   the 
initials  J.  S.  and  the  date  1733.     The  lower  drawer 

has  a  star  inlaid  be- 
tween the  pillars, 
and  a  star  is  inlaid 
upon  each  end  of 
the  case.  The 
knobs  at  the  top 
are  inlaid  with  the 
star,  and  the  mid- 
dle knob  ends  in  a 
carved  flame. 

J.  S.  was  John 
Sherburne,  whose 
son  married  the 
daughter  of  Colonel 
Warner.  The  legs 
of  this  chest  were 
ruthlessly  sawed  ofl" 
many  years  ago,  in 
order  that  it  might 
stand  in  a  low-ceil- 
inged  room,  and  it 
is  only  in  compara- 
tively recent  years 
that  it  has  belonged 
to  the  branch  of  the 
family  now  owning 
the  Warner  house. 
A  double  moulding  runs  upon  the  frame  around 
the  drawers,  and  the  original  handles  were  probably 
small,  of  the  type  in  Illustration  11,  letter  C. 


Illus.  17.  — Inlaid  Walnut  High  Chest  of 
Drawers,   1733. 


Chests,  Chests  of  Drawers,  Dressing-tables    29 


A  walnut  high  chest  of  a  somewhat  later  type  is 
shown  in  Illustration  18,  belonging  to  Mrs.  Rufus 
Woodward  of  Worcester.  It  is  of  walnut  veneered 
upon  pine,  and  the 
shells  upon  the  up- 
per and  lower  middle 
drawers  are  gilded, 
for  they  are,  of  course, 
carved  from  the  pine 
beneath  the  veneer. 
The  frame  has  the 
separated  double 
moulding  around  the 
drawers.  A  row  of 
light  inlaying  extends 
around  each  drawer, 
and  in  the  three  long 
drawers  of  the  upper 
part  the  inlaying  sim- 
ulates the  division 
into  two  drawers, 
which  is  carried  out 
in  the  top  drawers  of 
both  the  upper  and 
lower  parts.  The  large 
handles  and  the  fluted 
columns  at  the  sides 
would  indicate  that 
this  chest  was  made 
about  I 760-1 770. 

Illustration    19   shows   a   "high-boy"   and    "low- 
boy" of  walnut,  owned  by  the  writer.     The  drawers, 


Illus.   18.  — Inlaid  Walnut  High  Chest 
of  Drawers,  about  1760. 


30 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


it  win  be  seen,  lap  over  the  frame.  The  "high-boy" 
is  original  in  every  respect  except  the  ring  handles, 
which  are  new,  upon  the  drawers  carved  with  the 
rising  sun  or  fan  design.  It  was  found  In  the  attic 
of  an  old  house,  with 
the  top  separate  from 
the  lower  part  and 
every  drawer  out  upon 
the  floor,  filled  with 
seeds,  rags,  and  —  kit- 
tens, who,  terrified  by 
the  invasion  of  the  an- 
tique hunter,  scurried 
from  their  resting- 
places,  to  the  number 
of  nine  or  ten,  remind- 
ing one  of  Lowell's 
lines  in  the  "Biglow 
Papers":  — 


Illus.  19. —  "  Low-boy "  and  "High-boy"  of  Walnut,  about 
1740. 


Chests,  Chests  of  Drawers,  Dressing-tables     31 

**But  the  old  chest  won't  sarve  her  gran'son's  wife, 
(For  'thout  new  furnitoor  what  good  in  Hfe  ?) 
An'  so  old  claw  foot,  from  the  precinks  dread 
O'  the  spare  chamber,  slinks  into  the  shed, 
Where,  dim  with  dust,  it  fust  and  last  subsides 
To  holdin*  seeds  an'  fifty  other  things  besides." 

But  carefully  wrapped  up  and  tucked  away  in  one 
of  the  small  drawers  were  the  torches  for  the  upper 
and  the  acorn-shaped  drops  for  the  lower  part. 
These  drops  were  used  as  long  as  the  curves  followed 
those  of  the  lower  part  of  six-legged  chests,  but  were 
omitted  when  more  graceful  curves  and  lines  were 
used,  as  the  design  of  high  chests  gradually  dif- 
fered from  the  early  types. 

The  "low-boy,"  or  dressing-table,  was  made  to 
accompany  every  style  of  high  chest.  The  low-boy 
in  Illustration  19  shows  the  dressing-table  which 
was  probably  used  in  the  room  with  the  bandy- 
legged high-boy,  flat-topped  or  with  the  broken 
arch  cornice.  It  is  lower  than  the  under  part 
of  the  high-boy,  which  is,  however,  frequently  sup- 
plied with  a  board  top  and  sold  as  a  low-boy,  but 
which  can  be  easily  detected  from  its  height  and 
general  appearance.  The  measurements  of  this  high- 
boy and  low-boy  are 

HIGH-BOY,  lower  part  low-boy 

3  feet  high  2  feet  4  inches  high 

3  feet  I J  inches  long  2  feet  6  inches  long 

21  inches  deep  18  inches  deep 

The  high-boy  measures  seven  feet  from  the  floor 
to  the  top  of  the  cornice. 


32 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


High    chests    and    dressing-tables  were    made  of 
maple,  often  very  beautifully  marked,  in  the  same 

style  as  the  chests  of 
walnut  and  cherry. 
The  high  chest  was 
sometimes  made 
with  the  drawers  ex- 
tending nearly  to  the 
floor,  and  mounted 
upon  bracket,  ogee, 
or  claw  -  and  -  ball 
feet.  This  was  called 
a  double  chest,  or 
chest-upon-chest. 

The   double   chest 

in  Illustration  20  is 

in  the  Warner  house 

at    Portsmouth.     It 

of    English    wal- 


and   the  lower 
constructed 


is 


nius.  20. 


Walnut  Double  Chest, 
1760. 


about 


IS 

nut, 
part 

with  a  recessed  cup- 
board like  the  writ- 
ing-table in  Illus- 
tration 106.  The 
handles  upon  this 
chest  are  very  mas- 
sive, and  upon  the 
ends  of  both  the 
larger  handles  with 


upper  and  lower  parts  are  still 
which  to  lift  the  heavy  chest. 

A  double  chest  which  was  probably  made  in  New- 


Illus.  21.  — Mahogany  Double  Chest,   1765. 


34 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


port,  Rhode  Island,  about  1760-1770,  is  shown  in 
Illustration  21.  The  lower  part  is  blocked  and  is 
carved  in  the  same  beautiful  shells  as  Illustration  31 
and  Illustration  106.  This  double  chest  was  made 
for  John  Brown  of  Providence,  the  leader  of  the 
party  who  captured  the  Gaspee  in  1772,  and  one 
of  the  four  famous  Brown  brothers,  whose  name 
is  perpetuated  in  Brown  University.  This  chest  is 
now  owned  by  a  descendant  of  John  Brown,  John 
Brown  Francis  Herreshoff,  Esq.,  of  New  York. 


Illus.  22.  —  Block-front  Dressing-table, 
about  1750. 


A  low-boy  of  unusual  design,  in  the  Warner 
house,  is  shown  in  Illustration  22.  The  front  is 
blocked,  with  a  double  moulding  upon  the  frame 
around  the  drawers.     The  bill  of  lading  in  Illustra- 


Chests,  Chests  of  Drawers,  Dressing-tables    35 

tion  109  specified  a  dressing-table,  brought  from 
England  to  this  house  in  1716,  but  so  early  a  date 
cannot  be  assigned  to  this  piece,  although  it  is  un- 
doubtedly English,  like  the  double  chair  in  Illustra- 
tion 212,  which  has  similar  feet,  for  such  lions'  feet 
are  almost  never 
found  upon  furni- 
ture made  in  this 
country.  The  shape 
of  the  cabriole  leg 
is  poor,  the  curves 
being  too  abrupt, 
but  the  general  ef- 
fect of  the  low-boy 
is  very  rich.  The 
handles  are  the  orig-i 
inal  ones,  and  they 
with  the  fluted  col- 
umns and  blocked 
front  determine  the 
date  of  the  dressing- 
table  to  be  about 
1750. 

The  low-boy  in      ,„      ^^      ^      .     ^  ^,      ,.    .  ,^^^ 

T,,  .  ''      .  Illus.  23.  — Dressing-table,  about  1760. 

Illustration    23    is 

probably  of  slightly  later  date.  It  has  the  sepa- 
rated'double  moulding  upon  the  frame  around  the 
drawers,  and  the  curves  of  the  lower  part  are  like 
the  early  high  chests,  but  the  carving  upon  the  cab- 
riole legs,  and  the  fluted  columns  at  the  corners,  like 
those  in  Chippendale's  designs,  indicate  that  it  was 
made  after   1750.     Upon   the  top   are  two  pewter 


36  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

lamps,  one  with  glass  lenses  to  intensify  the  light ;  a 
smoker's  tongs,  and  a  pipe-case  of  mahogany,  with 
a  little  drawer  in  it  to  hold  the  tobacco.  This  dress- 
ing-table is  owned  by  Walter  Hosmer,  Esq. 

The  little  chest  of  drawers  in  Illustration  24 
belongs  to  Daniel  Gilman,  Esq.,  of  Exeter,  New 
Hampshire,  and  was  inherited  by  him.  It  is  evi- 
dently adapted  from  the  high-boy,  in  order  to  make 


Illus.  24.  — Chest  of  Drawers,   1740. 

a  smaller  and  lower  piece,  and  it  is  about  the  size 
of  a  small  bureau.  The  upper  part  is  separate 
from  the  lower  part,  and  is  set  into  a  moulding,  just 
as  the  upper  part  of  a  high-boy  sets  into  the  lower. 
The  handles  and  the  moulding  around  the  drawers 
are  of  the  same  period  as  the  ones  upon  the  chest 
in  Illustration  20. 

The  furniture  made  in  and  around  Philadelphia 
was  much  more  elaborately  carved  and  richly  or- 


Illus.  25.  — High  Chest  of  Drawers,  about   1765. 


38  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

namented  than  that  of  cabinet-makers  further 
north,  and  the  finest  tables,  high-boys,  and  low-boys 
that  are  found  were  probably  made  there.  They 
have  large  handles,  like  letter  F,  in  Illustration  ii, 
and  finely  carved  applied  scrolls. 

The  richest  and  most  elaborate  style  attained  in 
such  pieces  of  furniture  is  shown  in  the  high  chest  in 
Illustration  25,  which  is  one  of  the  finest  high  chests 
known.  The  proportions  are  perfect,  and  the  carv- 
ing is  all  well  executed.  This  chest  was  at  one  time  in 
the  Pendleton  collection,  and  is  now  owned  by  Harry 
Harkness  Flagler,  Esq.,  of  Millbrook,  New  York. 

Such  a  chest  as  this  was  in  Nathaniel  Hawthorne's 
mind  when  he  wrote :  "After  all,  the  moderns 
have  invented  nothing  better  in  chamber  furniture 
than  those  chests  which  stand  on  four  slender  legs, 
and  send  an  absolute  tower  of  mahogany  to  the  ceil- 
ing, the  whole  terminating  in  a  fantastically  carved 
summit." 

The  dressing-table  and  looking-glass  in  Illus- 
tration 26  are  also  owned  by  Mr.  Flagler.  The 
lookmg-glass  is  described  upon  page  385.  The 
dressing-table  is  a  beautiful  and  dainty  piece  of  fur- 
niture of  the  same  high  standard  as  the  chest  last 
described.  The  carving  upon  the  cabriole  legs 
is  unusually  elaborate  and  well  done.  It  will  be 
noticed  that  the  lower  edge  of  these  pieces  is  no 
longer  finished  in  the  simple  manner  of  the  earlier 
high-boys  and  low-boys,  but  is  cut  in  curves,  which 
vary  with  each  piece  of  furniture. 

In  Illustration  365  upon  page  378  is  a  low-boy  of 
walnut,  owned  by  the  writer,  of  unusually  graceful 


Chests,  Chests  of  Drawers,  Dressing-tables    39 


proportions,  the 
carved  legs  being 
extremely  slen- 
der. The  shell 
upon  this  low- 
boy is  carved  in 
the  frame  below 
the  middle  drawer 
instead  of  upon 
it,  as  is  usual. 

The  dressing- 
table  in  Illustra- 
tion  27  also 
belongs  to  the 
writer.  It  is  of 
walnut,  like  the 
majority  of  simi- 
lar pieces,  and  is 
finely  carved  but 
is  not  so  graceful 
as  Illustration 
365.  The  handles 
are  the  original 
ones  and  are  very 
large  and  hand- 
some. 

High  chests 
and  the  accom- 
panying dressing- 
tables  continued 
in  use  until  the 
later  years  of  the 
eighteenth      cen- 


Illus.  26.  —  Dressing-table  and 
Looking-glass,  about  1770. 


40 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


tury.  Hepplewhite's  book,  published  in  1789, 
contains  designs  for  chests  of  drawers,  extending 
nearly  to  the  floor,  with  bracket  feet,  one  having 


Walnut  Dressing-table,  about  1770. 


fluted  columns  at  the  corners,  and  an  urn  with  gar- 
lands above  the  flat  top.  It  is  probable,  however, 
that  high  chests  of  drawers  were  not  made  in  any 
number  after  1790. 


CHAPTER   II 


BUREAUS    AND    WASHSTANDS 


rHE  word  "  bureau  " 
is  now  used  to  des- 
ignate low  chests  of 
drawers.  Chippen- 
dale called  such  pieces  *'  com- 
mode tables  "  or  "  commode 
bureau  tables."  As  desks  with 
slanting  lids  for  a  long  period 
during  the  eighteenth  century 
were  called  "  bureaus "  or 
"  bureau  desks,"  the  proba- 
bility is  that  chests  of  drawers 
which  resembled  desks  in  the 
construction  of  the  lower 
part  went  by  the  name  of 
"  bureau  tables "  because  of  the  flat  table-top. 
Hepplewhite  called  such  pieces  "  commodes "  or 
"  chests  of  drawers."  As  the  general  name  by 
which  they  are  now  known  is  ''  bureau,"  it  has 
seemed  simpler  to  call  them  so  in  this  chapter. 

Bureaus  were  made  of  mahogany,  birch,  or  cherry, 
and  occasionally  of  maple,  while  a  few  have  been 
found  of  rosewood.     Walnut  was  not  used  in  ser- 

41 


42 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


pentine  or  swell  front  bureaus,  although  walnut 
chests  of  drawers  are  not  uncommon,  which  look 
like  the  top  part  of  a  high  chest,  with  bracket  feet, 
and  handles  of  an  early  design ;  and  so  far  as  the 
writer's  observation  goes,  few  bureaus  with  three 
or  four  drawers  were  made  of  walnut. 


Illus.  28.  —  Block-front  Bureau,  about  1770. 


The  wood  usually  employed  in  the  finest  bureaus 
is  mahogany,  and  the  earliest  ones  are  small,  with 
the  serpentine,  block,  or  straight  front,  and  with  the 
top  considerably  larger  than  the  body,  projecting 
nearly  an  inch  and  a  half  over  the  front  and  sides,  the 
edge  shaped  like  the  drawer  fronts.  The  early 
handles  are  large  and  like  letter  E  in  Illustration  ii. 


Bureaus  and  Washstands 


43 


The  block  front  is,  like  the  serpentine  or  yoke 
front,  carved  from  one  thick  board.  It  is  found 
more  frequently  in  this  country  than  in  England. 
The  block-front  bureau  in  Illustration  28  is  owned  by 
Dwight  M.  Prouty,  Esq.,  of  Boston,  and  is  a  very 
good  example,  with  the  original  handles. 


llus.  29.  —  Block-front  Bureau,  about  1770. 


The  small  bureau  in  Illustration  29  is  in  the 
Warner  house  in  Portsmouth.  It  is  of  mahogany, 
with  an  unusual  form  of  block  front,  the  blocking 
being  rounded.  The  shape  of  the  board  top  corre- 
sponds to  the  curves  upon  the  front  of  the  drawers. 
The  handles  are  large,  and  upon  each  end  is  a  mas- 
sive handle  to  lift  the  bureau  by. 


44 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Illustration  30  shows  a  block-front  bureau  owned 
by  the  writer.  Chippendale  gives  a  design  of  a  bu- 
reau similar  to  this,  with  three  drawers  upon  rather 
high  legs,  under    the    name   of    "commode  table." 


Illus.  31.  —  Kettle-shaped  Bureau,  about   1770. 


The  height  of  the  legs  brings  the  level  of  the  bureau 
top  about  the  same  as  one  with  four  drawers.  One 
handle  and  one  escutcheon  were  remaining  upon 
this  bureau,  and  the  others  were  cast  from  them. 
The  block  front  with  its  unusually  fine  shells  would 
indicate  that  this  piece,  which  came  from  Colchester, 
Connecticut,  was  made  by  the  same  Newport  cabinet- 
maker as  the  writing-table  in  Illustration  106,  and 


Ulus.  30.  —  Block-front  Bureau,  about   1770. 


46 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


the  double  chest  in  Illustration  21,  which  were 
made  about  1765.  The  looking-glass  in  the  illus- 
tration is  described  upon  page  410. 

Illustration  31  shows  a  mahogany  bureau  of  the 
style  known  as  "kettle"  shape,  owned  by  Charles 
R.  Waters,  Esq.,  of  Salem.  Desks  and  secretaries 
were  occasionally  made  with  the  lower  part  in  this 
style,  and  many  modern  pieces  of  Dutch  marqueterie 
with  kettle  fronts  are  sold  as  antiques.  But  little 
marqueterie  furniture  was  brought  to  this  country 
in  old  times,  and  even  among  the  descendants  of 
Dutch    families    in    New   York    State   it   is    almost 

impossible  to  find 
any  genuine  old 
pieces  of  Dutch 
marqueterie. 

A  bureau  with 
serpentine  front  is 
shown  in  Illustra- 
tion 32.  It  is  made 
in  two  sections,  the 
upper  part  with  four 
drawers  being  set 
into  the  moulding 
around  the  base  in 
the  same  manner  as 
the  top  part  of  a 
high-boy  sets  into  the  lower  part.  The  bureau  is 
owned  by  Charles  Sibley,  Esq.,  of  Worcester. 

The  bureaus  described  so  far  all  have  the  small 
single  moulding  upon  the  frame  around  the  drawer. 
From  the  time  when  the  designs  of  Shearer  and 


Illus.  32.  —  Serpentine-front  Bureau, 
about  1770. 


Bureaus  and  Washstands 


47 


Hepplewhite  became  fashionable,  bureaus  were  made 
with  a  fine  bead  moulding  upon  the  edge  of  the 
drawer  itself  or  without  any  moulding. 

The  serpentine-front  bureau  in  Illustration  33 
belongs  to  Mrs.  Johnson-Hudson  of  Stratford, 
Connecticut.  The  corners  are  cut  off  so  as  to 
form  the  effect  of  a  narrow  pillar,  which  is,  like  the 


Illus.  33.  —  Serpentine-front  Bureau 


drawers  and  the  bracket  feet,  inlaid  with  fine  lines 
of  holly.  The  bracket  feet  and  the  handles  would 
indicate  that  this  bureau  was  made  before  1789. 

A  bureau  of  the  finest  Hepplewhite  type  is  shown 
In  Illustration  34,  owned  by  Mrs.  Charles  H.  Carroll 
of  Worcester.     The  base  has  the  French  foot  which 


48 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


was  so  much  used  by  Hepplewhite,  which  is  entirely- 
different    from    Chippendale's    French    foot.     The 


lllus.  34.  —  Swell-front  Inlaid  Bureau,  about  1795. 


curves  of  the  lower  edge,  which  are  outlined  with  a 
line  of  holly,  are  unusually  graceful ;  the  knobs  are 
brass. 

Illustration  35  shows  the  styles  of  handles  chiefly 
found  upon  pieces  of  furniture  with  drawers,  after 
1770.  A  is  a  handle  which  was  used  during  the 
last  years  of  the  Chippendale  period,  and  the  first 
years  of  the  Hepplewhite.  B  and  C  are  the  oval 
pressed  brass  handles  found  upon  Hepplewhite  furni- 
ture.    They  were  made  round  as  well  as  oval,  and 


Bureaus  and  Washstands 


49 


were  in  various  designs ;  the 
eagle  with  thirteen  stars,  a  ser- 
pent, a  beehive,  a  spray  of 
flowers,  or  heads  of  historic  per- 
sonages —  Washington  and  Jef- 
ferson being  the  favorites.  D  is 
the  rosette  and  ring  handle,  of 
which  E  shows  an  elaborate  form. 
These  handles  were  used  upon 
Sheraton  pieces  and  also  upon 
the  heavy  veneered  mahogany 
furniture  made  during  the  first 
quarter  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury. F  is  the  brass  knob 
handle  used  from  1800  to  1820. 
G  is  the  glass  knob  which,  in 
clear  and  opalescent  glass,  came 
into  use  about  181 5  and  which 
is  found  upon  furniture  made 
for  twenty  years  after  that  date, 
after  which  time  wooden  knobs 
were  used,  often  displacing  the 
old  brass  handles. 

Looking-glasses  made  to 
swing  in  a  frame  are  mentioned 
in  inventories  of  1750,  and  about 
that  date  may  be  given  to  the 
dressing-glass  with  drawers, 
shown  in  Illustration  36.  It  was 
owned  by  Lucy  Flucker,  who 
took  it  with  her  when,  in  oppo- 
sition to  her  parents'  wishes,  she 


\^ 


Illustration  35. 


50 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


married  in  1774  the  patriot  General  Knox.  It  is 
now  in  the  possession  of  the  Hon.  James  Phinney 
Baxter,  Esq.,  of  Portland,  Maine.  Such  dressing- 
glasses  were  intended 
to  stand  upon  a  dress- 
ing-table or  bureau. 

A  bureau  and  dress- 
ing-glass owned  by 
the  writer  are  shown 
in  Illustration  37. 
The  bureau  is  of 
cherry,  with  the 
drawer  fronts  ve- 
neered in  mahogany 
edged  with  satinwood. 
A  row  of  fine  inlay- 
ing runs  around  the 
edge  of  the  top  and 
beneath  the  drawers. 
This  lower  line  of  in- 
laying appears  upon 
inexpensive  bureaus 
of  this  period,  and 
seems  to  have  been 
Illus.  36.— Dressing-glass,  about  1760.  considered  indispen- 
sable to  the  finish  of 
a  bureau.  The  dressing-glass  is  of  mahogany  and 
satinwood  with  fine  inlaying  around  the  frame  of 
the  glass  and  the  edge  of  the  stand.  The  base 
of  the  bureau  is  of  a  plain  type,  while  that  of  the 
dressing-glass  has  the  same  graceful  curves  that 
appear  in  Illustration  34. 


Bureaus  and  Washstands 


51 


The  bureaus  in  Illustration  34  and  Illustration  37 
are  in  the  Hepplewhite  style.  The  bureau  and 
dressing-glass  in  Illustration  38  are  distinctly  Shera- 
ton, of  the  best  style.  They  are  owned  by  Dwight 
Blaney,  Esq.,  of  Boston,  and  were  probably  made 
about  1810.  The  carving  upon  the  bureau  legs 
and  upon  the  corners  and  side  supports  to  the 
dressing-glass  is 
finely  executed. 
The  handles  to 
the  drawers  are 
brass  knobs. 

A  bureau  of 
the  same  date  is 
shown  in  Illus- 
tration 39.  It 
was  owned  orig- 
inally by  Will- 
iam  F.  Lane, 
Esq.,  of  Boston. 
Mr.  Lane  had 
several  children, 
for  whom  he  had 
miniature  pieces 
of  furniture 
made,  the  little 
sofa  in  Illustra- 
tion 228  being 
one.  The  small 
bureau  upon  the 
top  of  the  large  one  was  part  of  a  bedroom  set, 
which    included    a    tiny    four-post   bedstead.     This 


Illus.  37. —  Bureau  and  Dressing-glass,   1795. 


Illus.  38.  —  Bureau  and  Dressing-glass,  about   1810. 


Bureaus  and  Washstands 


53 


miniature  furniture  was  of  mahogany  like  the  large 
pieces.  The  handles  upon  the  large  bureau  are  not 
original.  They  should  be  rosette  and  ring,  or  knobs 
similar  to  those  upon  the  small  bureau.  The  bureaus 
are    now    owned  _ 

by  a  daughter  of 
Mr.  Lane,  Mrs. 
Thomas  H.  Gage 
of  Worcester. 

Bureau  s  of 
this  style  were 
frequently  made 
of  cherry  with 
the  drawer  fronts 
of  curly  or  bird's- 
eye  maple,  the 
fluted  pillars  at 
the  corner  and 
the  frame  around 
the  drawers  be- 
ing of  cherry  or 
mahogany. 

There  was 
added      to      the 

bureau  about  this  time  —  perhaps  evolved  from 
the  dressing-glass  with  drawers  —  an  upper  tier  of 
shallow  drawers,  usually  three.  The  dressing-table 
shown  in  Illustration  40  is  owned  by  Charles  H. 
Morse,  Esq.,  of  Charlestown,  New  Hampshire. 
It  stands  upon  high  legs  turned  and  reeded,  and  a 
dressing-glass  is  attached  above  the  three  little 
drawers.     The  handles  should    be  rings  or    knobs. 


lllus.  39. —  Bureau  and  Miniature 
Bureau,  about  1810. 


54 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


The  case  of  drawers  with  closet  above,  in  Illus- 
tration 41,  is  owned  by  Mrs.  Thomas  H.  Gage,  of 
Worcester.     It   is  of   mahogany,   the   doors  of   the 


Illus.  40 


closet  being  of  especially  handsome  wood.  The 
carving  at  the  top  of  the  fluted  legs  is  fine,  and  the 
piece  of  furniture  is  massive  and  commodious. 

The  bureau  in  Illustration  42  is  also  owned  by 


Bureaus  and  Washstands 


55 


Mrs.  Gage,  and  is  a  very  good  specimen  of  the  fur- 
niture in  the  heavy  style  fashionable  during  the  first 
quarter  of  the  nine- 
teenth century.  It 
was  probably  made 
to  match  a  four-post 
bedstead  with  twisted 
posts  surmounted 
by  pineapples.  The 
drawer  fronts  are  ve- 
neered, like  those  of 
all  the  bureaus  illus- 
trated in  this  chapter 
except  the  first  four, 
and  there  is  no 
moulding  upon  the 
edge  of  the  drawers. 
Illustration  43 
shows  the  heaviest 
form  of  bureau,  made 
about  the  same  time 
as  the  last  one  shown, 
with  heavily  carved 
pillars  and  bears' 
feet.  The  drawer 
fronts  are  veneered 
and  have  no  mould- 
ing upon  the  edge. 
This  bureau  is  owned 
by  Mrs.  S.  B.  Woodward  of  Worcester,  and  it  is  a 
fine  example  of  the  furniture  after  the  style  of  Em- 
pire pieces. 


lllus.  41.  —  Case  of  Drawers  with 
Closet,   1810. 


S6 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


The  bureau  in  Illustration  44  is  owned  by  Charles 
H.  Morse,  Esq.,  of  Charlestown,  and  shows  the 
latest  type  of  Empire  bureau,  with  ball  feet,  and 
large    round   veneered    pillars.     The    three    Empire 


Illus.  42.  — Bureau,  about  1815. 


bureaus  shown  have  the  last  touch  that  could 
be  added,  a  back  piece  above  the  tier  of  small 
drawers.  The  bureaus  have  the  top  drawer  of  the 
body  projecting  beyond  the  three  lower  drawers,  and 
supported  by  the  pillars  at  the  sides.     This  and  the 


Bureaus  and  Washstands 


57 


shallow  tier  of  small  drawers,  and  the  back  piece 
are  typical  features  of  the  Empire  bureau,  which 
may  have  the  rosette  and  ring  handle  or  the  knob 
of  brass  or  glass. 


Illus.  43.  — Bureau,  1815-1820. 


The  toilet  conveniences  of  our  ancestors  seem  to 
our  eyes  most  inadequate,  and  it  is  impossible  that  a 
very  free  use  of  water  was  customary,  with  the  tiny 
bowls  and  pitchers  which  were  used  and  the  small 
and   inconvenient  washstands.     A   "bason   frame" 


58  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

appears  in  an  inventory  of  1654.  Chippendale 
designed  "bason  stands"  which  were  simply  a  tri- 
pod stand,  into  the  top  of  which  the  basin  fitted. 
They   were    also    called   wig    stands    because    they 


Illus.  44.  —  Empire  Bureau  and 
Glass,   1810-1820. 


were  kept  in  the  dressing-room  where  the  fine  gen- 
tleman halted  to  remove  his  hat,  and  powder  his  wig. 
The  basin  rested  in  the  opening  in  the  top,  and  in 
the  little  drawers  were  kept  the  powder  and  other 
accessories    of   the    toilet.     The    depression    in   the 


Bureaus  and  Washstands 


59 


shelf  was  for  the  ewer,  probably  bottle  shaped,  to 
rest  in,  after  the  gentleman  had  poured  the  water 
into  the  basin,  to  dip  his  fingers  in  after  powdering 
his  wig. 

The  charming  little  basin  or  wig  stand  in  Illus- 
tration 45  is  in  the  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art. 
The  wood  is  mahogany 
and  the  feet  are  a  flat- 
tened type  of  claw  and 
ball,  giving  the  little  stand, 
with  its  basin  and  ewer, 
some  stability,  unless  an 
unwary  pointed  toe  should 
be  caught  by  the  spread- 
ing legs.  The  acanthus 
leaf  is  carved  on  the  knees, 
and  the  chamfered  corners 
above  have  an  applied 
fret. 

The  drawings  of  Shearer, 
Hepplewhite  and  Shera- 
ton show  both  square  and 
corner  washstands  of  ma- 
hogany with   slender   legs. 

The  washstand  in  Illus- 
tration 46  is  of  mahogany, 

and  differs  from  the  usual  corner  stand  in  having 
the  enclosed  cupboard.  It  was  made  from  a  Hep- 
plewhite design  and  is  owned  by  Francis  H.  Bigelow, 
Esq.,  of  Cambridge. 

The  corner  washstand  in  Illustration  47  is  owned 
by  the  writer.     It  is  of  mahogany,  and  the  drawers 


Illus.  45.  — Basin  Stand,    1770. 


6o 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


are  finely  inlaid,  probably  after  a  Sheraton  design. 
The  little  towel-rack  is  of  somewhat  later  date  and  is 
made  of  maple,  stained.  The  washbowl  and  pitcher 
are  dark-blue  Staffordshire  ware,  with  the  well-known 

design  of  the  "Tomb  of 
Franklin"  upon  them. 

While  the  corner  wash- 
stand  possessed  the  vir- 
tues of  taking  up  but 
little  room,  and  being 
out  of  the  way,  the  latter 
consideration  must  have 
been  keenly  felt  by  those 
who,  with  head  thrust 
Into  the  corner,  were 
obliged  to  use  it. 

A  square  washstand 
of  more  convenient 
shape,  but  still  con- 
structed for  the  small 
bowl  and  pitcher.  Is 
shown  In  Illustration  48. 
It  is  of  mahogany  and  is 
In  the  style  that  was 
used  from  181 5  to  1830. 
This  washstand  is  owned  by  Mrs.  E.  A.  Morse  of 
Worcester. 

Both  corner  and  square  washstands  have  an  open- 
ing In  the  top,  into  which  was  set  the  washbowl,  and 
two  —  sometimes  three  —  small  openings  for  the 
little  cups  which  were  used  to  hold  the  soap. 

Hepplewhite's    book,    published    in    1789,    shows 


Illus.  46.  — Corner  Wash- 
stand,   1790. 


Bureaus  and  Washstands 


6i 


designs  of  "night  tables"  like  the  one  in  Illustration 
49,  but  they  are  not  often  found  in  this  country. 
This  table  is  of  mahogany,  with  tambour  doors,  and 


Illus.  47.  — Towel-rack  and  Washstand,   1790-1800. 

a  carved  rim  around  the  top,  pierced  at  each  side  to 
form  a  handle.  The  wood  of  the  interior  of  the 
drawer  is  oak,  showing  that  the  table  was  probably 
made  in  England.     It  is  owned  by  the  writer. 


62 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


There  are  several  draw- 
ings in  the  books  of  Hep- 
plewhite  and  Sheraton  of 
washstands  and  toilet- 
tables  with  complicated 
arrangements  for  looking- 
glasses  and  toilet  appur- 
tenances, but  such  pieces 
of  furniture  could  not 
have  been  common  even 
in  England,  and  cer- 
tainly were  not  in  this 
country. 

In  Illustration  288  up- 
on page  294  is  shown  a 


Illus.  48. 


Washstand, 
1830. 


1815- 


Illus.  49.  — Night  Table,   1785. 


piano  which  can  be 
used  as  a  toilet-table, 
with  a  looking-glass 
and  trays  for  various 
articles,  but  it  must 
have  been,  even  when 
new,  regarded  less 
from  the  utilitarian 
side,  and  rather  as  a 
novel  and  ornamental 
piece  of  furniture. 


Bureaus  and  Washstands 


63 


A  washstand  of  different  design  is  shown  in  Il- 
lustration 50.  The  front  is  of  bird's-eye  maple  and 
mahogany,  and  the 
top  is  of  curly  maple 
with  mahogany  in- 
lay around  the  edge. 
The  sides  are  ma- 
hogany. The  two 
drawers  are  shams, 
and  the  top  lifts  on 
a  hinge  disclosing  a 
compartment  for  a 
pitcher  and  bowl. 
The  tapering  legs 
end  in  a  spade  foot, 
and  a  large  brass 
handle  is  upon  each 
side.  The  other 
handles     are     brass 

knobs.  This  stand  was  made  after  instructions 
given  by  Sheraton  thus,  "  The  advantage  of  this 
kind  of  basin  stand  is,  that  they  may  stand  in  a 
genteel  room,  without  giving  offense  to  the  eye, 
their  appearance  being  somewhat  like  a  cabinet." 
The  washstand  is  owned  by  the  writer. 


Illus.  50.  — Washstand,   1800-1810. 


CHAPTER  III 


BEDSTEADS 


0 


.NE  of  the  most 
valuable^  pieces  of 
furniture  in  the 
household  of  the 
seventeenth  and  eigh- 
teenth centuries  was  the 
bedstead  with  its  belong- 
ings. Bedsteads  and  beds 
occupy  a  large  space  in  in- 
ventories, and  their  valua- 
tion was  often  far  more 
than  thatof  any  other  arti- 
cle in  the  inventory,  some- 
times more  than  all  the 
others.  In  spite  of  the  great  value  placed  upon  them, 
none  have  survived  to  show  us  exactly  what  was  meant 
by  the  "oak  Marlbrough  bedstead"  or  the  "half- 
headed  bedstead  "  in  early  inventories.  About  the  bed- 
stead up  to  1750  we  know  only  what  these  inventories 
tell  us,  but  the  inference  is  that  bedsteads  similar  to 
those  in  England  at  that  time  were  also  in  use  in  the 
colonies.  The  greater  portion  of  the  value  of  the 
bedstead  lay  in  its  furnishings,  —  the  hangings, 
feather  bed,  bolster,  quilts,  blankets,  and  coverlid, 

64 


Bedsteads 


65 


Illus.  51.  — Wicker  Cradle,   1620. 


—  the  bedstead  proper,  when  inventoried  separately, 
being  placed  at  so  low  a  sum  that  one  concludes  it 
must  have  been  ex- 
tremely plain.  Sev- 
eral cradles  made  in 
the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury are  still  in  exist- 
ence. Illustration  51 
shows  one  which  is 
in       Pilgrim       Hall, 


Plymouth,  and  which 

is  said  to  have  shel- 
tered      Peregrine 

White,  the  first  child 

born  in  this  country 

to    the    Pilgrims.     It 

is  of  wicker  and  of  Oriental  manufacture,   having 

been  brought 
from  Holland 
upon  the  May- 
flower, with  the 
Pilgrims. 

The  cradle  in 
Illustration  52  is 
of  more  substan- 
tial build.  It  is 
of  oak,  and  was 
made  for  John 
Coffin,  who  was 
born  in  Newbury, 
January  8,  1680. 
Sergeant  Stephen 


Illus.  52.  — Oak  Cradle,   1680. 


dG  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

Jaques,  "who  built  the  meeting  house  with  great 
needles  and  little  needles  pointing  downward," 
fashioned  this  cradle,  whose  worn  rockers  bear  wit- 
ness to  the  many  generations  of  babies  who  have 
slept  within  its  sturdy  frame.  It  is  now  in  the 
rooms  of  the  Newburyport  Historical  Society. 

Another  wooden  cradle  is  in  Pilgrim  Hall,  made 
of  oak  and  very  similar,  with  the  turned  spindles  at 


Illus.  53.  —  Bedstead  and  Commode,   1750. 

the  sides  of  its  wooden  hood,  to  a  cradle  dated  1691, 
in  the  South  Kensington  Museum. 

"Cupboard  bedsteads"  and  "presse  bedsteads" 
are  mentioned  m  the  inventories.  They  were 
probably  the  same  as  the  Dutch  "slaw-bank,"  and 
when  not  in  use  they  were  fastened  up  against  the 
wall  in  a  closet  made  to  fit  the  bed,  and  the  closet 
doors  were  closed  or  curtains  were  drawn  over  the 
bedstead.  There  is  a  slaw-bank  in  the  old  Sum- 
ner house  in  Shrewsbury,  Massachusetts,  built  in 
1797. 


Bedsteads 


67 


Illustration  53  shows  a  curious  bedstead  made 
about  1750,  when  it  was  used  by  Dr.  Samuel  John- 
son, president  of  King's  College,  New  York.  It  is 
now  owned  by  his  descendant,  Mrs.  Johnson- 
Hudson  of  Stratford,  Connecticut.  The  slanting 
back  of  the  bedstead  is  like  the  back  of  an  early 


Illus.  54.  — Field  Bedstead,   1760-1770. 


Chippendale  chair,  and  the  effect  is  similar  to  that 
of  the  couches  shown  in  Illustration  205  and  Illustra- 
tion 206 ;  but  this  piece  was  evidently  intended  for  a 
bed,  as  it  is  considerably  wider  than  the  couches, 
which  were  "day  beds."  The  wood  of  this  bed- 
stead  is   mahogany.     The   commode   which   stands 


68  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

beside  the  bed  is  of  a  slightly  later  date.  It  is  also 
of  mahogany,  with  massive  brass  handles. 

Illustration  54  shows  a  bedstead  of  about  1760- 
1770.  It  is  what  was  called  a  field  bed,  the 
form  of  its  top  suggesting  a  tent.  The  frames 
for  the  canopy  top  were  made  in  different  shapes, 
but  the  one  in  the  illustration  was  most  common. 
The  drapery  is  made  of  the  netted  fringe  so  much 
used  in  those  days  for  edging  bedspreads,  curtains, 
and  covers.  This  deep  fringe  was  made  especially 
for  canopy  tops  for  bedsteads.  Its  manufacture  has 
been  revived  by  several  Arts  and  Crafts  Societies. 
The  slat-back  chair  is  one  of  the  rush-bottomed 
variety  common  during  the  eighteenth  century. 
This  room,  with  its  wooden  rafters,  is  in  the 
Whipple  house  at  Ipswich,  buijt'in  1650. 

The  claw-and-ball  foot  bedstead  in  Illustration  55 
was  a  part  of  the  wedding  outfit  of  Martha  Tufts, 
who  was  married  in  1774,  in  Concord.  It  was  then 
hung  with  the  printed  cotton  draperies,  hand  spun 
and  woven,  which  still  hang  from  the  tester,  albeit 
much  darned  and  quite  dropping  apart  with  age. 
The  draperies  are  of  a  brownish  color,  possibly  .from 
age,  but  at  all  events  they  are  now  dingy  and  un- 
attractive, whatever  they  may  have  been  in  1774. 
The  posts  above  the  cabriole  legs  are  small  and  plain, 
and  there  is  no  headboard.  The  wood  is  mahogany. 
This  bedstead  is  now  owned  by  the  Concord 
Antiquarian  Society.  Although  Chippendale's  de- 
signs do  not  show  a  bedstead  with  claw-and-ball  feet, 
he  probably  did  make  such  bedsteads,  and  this  may 
be  called  Chippendale,  as  it  belongs  to  that  period. 


Illus.  55.  — Claw-and-Ball  Foot  Bedstead,   1774. 


70 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


A  bedstead  with  plain,  simple  posts,  with  the  cover 
and  hangings  of  old  netting,  is  shown  in  Illustra- 
tion 56.  There  is  a  good  comb-back  Windsor  arm- 
chair and  a  mahogany  cradle  of  the  period  in  the 


Illus.  56.  —  Bedstead,   1780. 


room,  which  is  a  bedroom  in  the  Lee  Mansion,  Mar- 
blehead,  Mass. 

A  splendid  bedstead  found  in  Charleston,  S.  C, 
and  now  owned  by  J.  J.  Gilbert,  Esq.,  of  Baltimore, 
is  shown  in  Illustration  57.  All  four  posts  are 
carved  and  reeded,  and  are  after  the  manner  of 
Chippendale.  The  tester  and  headboard  show  the 
Adam  influence,  placing  the  date  of  the  bedstead 
about  1770. 


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pi 

^^^S 

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!^r^ 

"-"1 

1 

1 

* 

asL   ! 

1 

'S 

JUl 

k.l 

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^^^^^^^1 

P»    4 

1 

^I^^B 

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Ulus.  57.— Bedstead,   1775-1785. 


72 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Illustration  58  shows  a  bedstead  made  from  one 
of  Hepplewhite's  designs,  about  1789.  The  lower 
posts  are  slender  and  fluted,  and  end  in  a    square 

foot.  The 
cornice  is  ja- 
panned after 
the  fashion 
which  Hep- 
p  1  e  w  h  i  t  e 
made  so 
popular,  and 
the  style  in 
which  this 
bedstead  is 
draped  is  ex- 
tremely at- 
tractive. It 
is  at  Indian 
Hill,  the 
residence  of 
the  late  Ma- 
jor Ben:  Per- 
ley  Poore. 

The    four- 
post      b  e  d- 

Illus.  58.  —  Bedstead,   1789.  Steads       had 

sometimes 
canvas  stretched  across  the  frame  and  laced  with 
ropes,  similar  to  the  seat  of  the  couch  in  Illustra- 
tion 206,  and  in  other  cases  they  were  corded  entirely 
with  ropes.  Mrs.  Vanderbilt  in  her  "Social  History 
of  Flatbush"  thus  describes  the  process  of  cording 


Bedsteads  73 

a  bed  :  "  It  required  a  man's  strength  to  turn  the 
machine  that  tightened  the  ropes,  in  cording  these 
beds  when  they  were  put  together.  Some  one  was 
stationed  at  each  post  to  keep  it  upright,  while  a  man 
was  exhausting  his  strength  and  perhaps  his  stock 
of  patience  and  good  temper,  in  getting  the  ropes 
sufficiently  tight  to  suit  the  wife  or  mother.  When 
the  bedstead  was  duly  corded  and  strung  to  the  ten- 
sion required,  then  a  straw  bed,  in  a  case  of  brown 
home-made  linen,  was  first  placed  over  these  cords, 
and  upon  this  were  piled  feather  beds  to  the  number 
of  three  or  four,  and  more  if  this  was  the  spare-room 
bed."  The  height  of  the  top  one  of  these  feather 
beds  from  the  floor  was  so  great  that  steps  were  re- 
quired to  mount  into  it,  and  sets  of  mahogany  steps 
are  sometimes  found  now,  which  were  made  for  this 
purpose.     A  set  is  shown  in  Illustration  64. 

Illustration  59  shows  one  of  the  finest  bedsteads 
known  in  this  country.  It  is  in  the  house  of  Charles 
R.  Waters,  Esq.,  of  Salem.  The  two  lower  posts 
are  exquisitely  carved  with  garlands  of  flowers,  and 
every  detail  is  beautiful ;  the  upper  posts  are  plain. 
The  size  of  the  posts  is  somewhat  larger  than  during 
the  previous  years,  and  the  style  of  the  lower  part 
with  the  fluted  leg  would  place  the  date  of  the  bed- 
stead about  1 795-1 800,  when  the  influence  of  Shera- 
ton was  strong.  The  cornice  is  painted  with  flowers 
in  colors,  and  the  painted  band  is  framed  in  gilt;  the 
ornaments  at  the  corners,  the  basket  with  two  doves, 
and  the  ropes  and  tassels  are  all  of  gilt. 

About  1800,  when  the  Empire  styles  commenced 
to  influence  the  makers  of  furniture,  the  posts  of 


Ulus.  59.— Bedstead.   1795 


Bedsteads  75 

bedsteads  became  larger,  and  they  were  more  heavily- 
carved,  with  acanthus  leaves  twining  around  the  post, 
or  a  heavy  twist  or  fluting,  with  pineapples  at  the 
top. 

Illustration  60  shows  a  bedstead  at  Indian  Hill, 
with  the  heavy  posts  and  tester,  the  lower  posts  be- 


Illus.  60.  — Bedstead,   1800-1810. 

ing  fluted.  The  bedstead  is  draped  on  the  side  and 
foot  with  curtains  which  could  be  let  down  at  night 
in  cold  weather,  thus  shutting  out  the  bitter  draughts. 
The  coverlid  for  this  bed  is  made  of  linen,  spun  and 
woven  by  hand,  and  embroidered  in  shades  of  blue 
with  a  quaint  design.     The  easy-chair  at  the  foot  of 


76 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


the  bed  is  covered  with  old  chintz,  printed  in  figures 
that  would  afford  a  child  unlimited  entertainment. 

A  bedstead  with  massive  twisted  posts  is  shown  in 
Illustration  6i.     The  lower  posts  only  are  carved, 

as  was  usual, 
the  draperies 
at  the  head 
of  the  bed 
concealing 
the  plain 
upper  posts. 
Twisted 
posts  were 
quite  com- 
mon during 
the  early- 
years  of  the 
nineteenth 
century,  and 
more  bed- 
posts are 
found  that 
are  carved  in 
a  twist  than 
in  any  other 
design.  The 
coverlid  is 
similar  to  the 
one  in  Illustration  63.  This  bedstead  stands  in  one 
of  the  panelled  rooms  of  the  Warner  house  in 
Portsmouth. 

Illustration  62  shows  a  fine  example  of  the  four- 


Illus.  61 


Bedstead,    1800-1810. 


Bedsteads 


n 


post  bedstead  made  from  1805  to  18 10.  It  Is  un- 
usual in  having  all  four  posts  carved,  and  for  its 
splendid  feet, 
which  are 
carved  in  mas- 
sive lions' 
claws.  Each 
post  is  carved 
with  festoons 
of  drapery,  and 
is  surmounted 
with  a  pine- 
apple. The 
headboard  is 
elaborately 
carved  with  a 
basket  of  fruit. 
This  mahogany 
bedstead  is 
owned  by  Mrs. 
E.  A.  Morse 
of  Worcester. 
Illustration 
63  shows  an- 
other bedstead 
with     all     four 

mahogany  posts  carved  in  the  acanthus  leaf  and 
pineapple  design.  Each  post  is  finished  at  the  top 
with  a  pineapple,  and  the  bases  are  set  into  brass 
sockets.  Upon  the  plain  sections  of  the  posts  may 
be  seen  pressed  brass  ornaments,  of  which  there  are 
six,  two  for  each  lower  post  and  one  for  each  upper 


lilus.  62.  —  Bedstead,    1800-1810. 


78  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

one.     These    ornaments    cover    the    holes    through 
which  the  bed-screws  are  put  in  to  hold  the  frame 


Illus.  63.  —  Bedstead,   1800-1810. 


together.  There  is  a  headbcTard  of  simple  design 
upon  this  bedstead.  The  coverlid  is  an  old,  hand- 
spun  and  woven,  cotton  one,  with  a  design  of  stars  in 


Bedsteads 


79 


little  cotton  tufts.     Such  coverlids  were  made  about 
1815  to  1830.     This  bedstead  is  owned  by  the  writer. 


Illus.  64.  —  Bedstead  and  Steps,    1790. 

Illustration  64  shows  a  bed  owned  by  the  Colo- 
nial Dames,  in  their  house,  "Stenton,"  in  Philadel- 
phia.    It  has  the  large,  plain  and  heavy  posts  found 


8o 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


in  the  South.  The  hangings  are  the  original  ones. 
Beside  the  bed  is  a  set  of  steps  used  to  assist  in 
mounting  to  the  top  of  the  feather  beds  used  in 
those  days.  The  cradle  is  of  about  the  same  date. 
Illustration  65  shows  a  low-post  mahogany  bed- 
stead which  is  owned  by  Dr.   S.   B.   Woodward  of 


Illus.  65.  —  Low-post  Beusicau,  about   1825. 


Worcester,  having  been  inherited  by  him.  It  was 
made  about  1825.  The  four  posts  are  carved  with 
the  acanthus  leaf,  and  both  head  and  foot  board  are 
elaborately  carved.  It  can  be  seen  that  the  bed 
in  this  illustration  is  not  so  high  from  the  floor  as 
those  of  earlier  date.  The  low  French  bedstead  be- 
came fashionable  soon  after  this  time,  and   the  high 


Bedsteads 


8l 


four-poster  was  relegated  to  the  attic,  from  which  it 
has  of  late  years  been  rescued,  and  set  up,  draped 
with  all  of  its  old-time  hangings. 

The  latest  style  of    low-post  bedsteads  is  shown 
in    Illustration   66.     It   was   probably   made    about 


Illus.  66.  — Low-post  Bedstead,   1820-1830. 

1 820-1 830,  when  the  light  woods,  maple  and  birch, 
were,  with  cherry,  largely  used  for  such  bedsteads. 
The  wood  of  this  bed  is  curly  birch,  and  all  four  posts 
are  carved  alike  with  the  pineapple  and  acan- 
thus design,  similar  to  the  tall  posts  of  the  previ- 


82  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

ous  period.  Low-post  bedsteads  are  often  found 
with  posts  plainly  turned,  -of  curly  maple,  beauti- 
fully marked. 

Illustration  G'j  shows  a  low  French  bedstead, 
found  in  Canada  and  owned  by  George  Corbett, 
Esq.,  of  Worcester.  The  bedstead  is  made  of 
finely  grained  old  walnut,  the  rounding  top  of  the 
head    and   foot  boards   and   the  face  of  the  large 


Illus.  67.  — Low  Bedstead,  about   1830. 

drawer  under  the  footboard  being  veneered.  This 
drawer  may  have  been  intended  to  use  to  keep 
blankets  in.  It  has  a  little  foot  so  that  it  remains 
firm  when  pulled  out.  At  each  side  of  the  low  bed 
is  a  carved  shell,  which  slides  out,  showing  a  covered 
rest,  perhaps  for  kneeling  upon  to  pray.  Both  the 
—-head  and  foot  boards  are  covered  with  canvas,  which 
was  probably,  when  the  bedstead  was  new,  about 
1830,  covered  with  a  rich  brocade.     All  the  lines  of 


Bedsteads  83 

the  bedstead  are  most  graceful,  and  the  carving  is 
unusually  well  done.  Plainer  bedsteads  in  this  style 
were  made,  veneered  with  mahogany,  and  they  are 
sometimes  called  sleigh  beds,  on  account  of  their 
shape.  These  bedsteads  were  fashionable  from  1830 
to  1850,  when  they  were  superseded  by  the  black 
walnut  bedsteads  familiar  to  everybody. 


CHAPTER  IV 


CUPBOARDS  AND  SIDEBOARDS 


^n^UPBOARDS 

m  appear    in    Eng- 

V^yf  lish  inventories 
as  early  as  1344. 
Persons  of  rank  in  Eng- 
land had  their  cupboards 
surmounted  by  a  set  of 
shelves  to  display  the 
silver  and  gold  plate. 
Each  shelf  was  narrower 
than  the  one  beneath, 
like  a  set  of  steps,  and 
the  number  of  shelves 
indicated  the  rank  of  the 
owner,  five  being  the 
greatest  number,  to  be  used  by  the  king  only. 

The  first  cupboard  consisted  of  an  open  frame- 
work, a  *'borde"  upon  which  to  set  cups,  as  the 
name  implies.  Later  it  was  partially  enclosed  below, 
and  this  enclosed  cupboard  was  used  to  hold  valu- 
ables, or  sometimes  the  food  which  was  afterward 
distributed  by  the  lady  of  the  house.  This  was 
known  as  an  almery  or  press  cupboard,  the  former 


Ulus.  68.  — Oak  Press  Cupboard,   1640. 


86  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

name  corresponding  to  the  French  word  armoire. 
The  names  "court  cupboard"  or  "livery  cupboard" 
were  used  to  designate  a  piece  of  furniture  without  an 
enclosed  cupboard,  low  or  short,  as  the  French  word 
court  implies,  and  intended  for  a  serving-table,  as  the 
word  "livery,"  from  the  French  livrer,  to  deliver, 
indicates.  In  Europe  such  pieces  were  called  dres- 
soirs. 

Cupboards  abound  in  colonial  inventories,  under 
various  names  —  "small  cupboard,"  "great  cup- 
board," "press  cupboard,"  "wainscot  cupboard," 
"court  cupboard,*''  "livery  cupboard,"  "hanging 
cupboard,"  "sideboard  cupboard."  The  cupboard 
formed  an  important  part  of  the  furniture  owned  by 
men  of  wealth  and  position  in  the  colonies. 

These  cupboards  were  generally  of  oak,  but  those 
made  in  this  country  have  the  backs  and  bottoms 
of  the  cupboards  and  drawers  of  pine.  The  interior 
is  similar  in  all,  the  lower  cupboard  usually  having 
shelves,  which  seldom  appear  in  the  upper  cup- 
board. Sometimes  the  lower  part  of  the  piece  is 
divided  into  drawers  for  holding  linen. 

Such  a  cupboard  is  shown  in  Illustration  68. 
This  fine  example  is  known  as  the  "Putnam  cup- 
board." It  is  now  owned  by  the  Essex  Institute, 
of  Salem,  to  which  it  was  presented  by  Miss  Harriet 
Putnam  Fowler  of  Danvers,  Massachusetts.  It 
descended  to  her  from  John  Putnam,  who  brought 
it  from  England  about  1640.  Upon  the  back  may 
be  seen  marks  of  a  fire  which  two  hundred  years 
ago  destroyed  the  house  in  which  the  cupboard 
stood.     The  wood  is  English  oak,  and  the  mould- 


Cupboards  and  Sideboards 


87 


ings  used  in  the  panelling  are  of  cedar.  The  cup- 
board is  in  two  parts,  the  upper  section  with  the 
enclosed  cup- 
board resting  "^^ 
upon  the  lower 
section  with  its 
three  drawers. 

Another 
panelled  cup- 
board is  shown 
in  Illustration 
69,  in  which 
both  the  upper 
and  lower  parts 
are  made  with 
a  recessed 
cupboard,  en- 
closed, with  a 
drawer  below. 
The  wood  is 
oak,  with  the 
turned  pieces 
painted  black. 
This  cupboard 
is  in  the  house 
of  Charles  R. 
Waters,  Esq., 
of  Salem.  Upon  the  top  are  displayed  some  good 
pieces  of  old  glass. 

Many  press  cupboards  were  carved  in  designs 
similar  to  those  upon  the  early  chests.  Illustra- 
tion 70  shows  a  carved  press  cupboard  owned  by 


Illus.  o9.  —  Press  Cupboard,  about  1650. 


88 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Times 


Walter  Hosmer,  Esq.,  of  Wethersfield.  The  wood 
is  American  oak  and  the  cupboard  was  probably- 
made  in  Connecticut,  where  there  must  have  been 


Illus.  70.  —  Carved  Press  Cupboard, 
1680-1690. 


unusually  good  cabinet-makers  during  the  last  half 
of  the  seventeenth  century,  for  many  of  the  best 
oak  chests  and  cupboards  existing  in  this  country 
were  made  in  Connecticut.     This  cupboard  is  very 


Cupboards  and  Sideboards  89 

large,  measuring  five  feet  in  height  and  four  feet 
in  width. 

All  cupboards  were  provided  with  cupboard  cloths 
or  cushions,  the  latter  probably  made  somewhat 
thicker  than  the  simple  cloth,  by  the  use  of  several 
layers  of  goods  or  of  stuffing.  These  cloths  or 
cushions  were  placed  on  the  top  of  the  cupboard,  to 
set  the  glass  or  silver  upon,  and  the  early  inventories 
have  frequent  mention  of  them.  By  1690  the  press 
cupboard  had  gone  out  of  fashion,  and  but  few  were 
made  after  1700,  although  they  continued  to  be 
used  by  those  who  already  owned  them. 

About  1 7 10  the  corner  cupboard  made  its  ap- 
pearance, often  under  the  name  "beaufet"  or  "beau- 
fatt."  It  was  generally  built  into  the  corner,  and 
was  finished  to  correspond  with  the  panelling  around 
the  room.  The  lower  part  was  closed  by  panelled 
doors,  and  the  upper  part  had  sometimes  one  glass 
door,  sometimes  two,  opening  in  the  middle ;  but 
more  often  it  was  left  without  a  door.  The  top  of 
the  beaufatt  was  usually  made  in  the  form  of  an  apse, 
and  in  the  finest  specimens  the  apse  was  carved  in  a 
large  shell.  The  shelves  were  not  made  to  take 
up  the  entire  space  in  the  cupboard,  but  extended 
around  the  back,  and  were  cut  in  curves  and  pro- 
jections, evidently  to  fit  pieces  of  glass  or  china,  for 
the  display  of  which  the  beaufatt  was  built  rather 
than  to  serve  as  a  simple  closet.  A  fine  beaufatt  is 
shown  in  Illustration  71,  which  is  in  the  Deerfield 
Museum.  From  the  construction  of  the  pillars  at 
the  side  it  is  evident  that  it  was  not  intended  to  use 
a  door  to  the  upper  part. 


90 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


That  there  was  some  distinction  between  the 
corner  cupboard  and  the  beaufatt  would  appear 
from  the  difference  in  their  valuation  in  inventories, 
but  what  was  the  difference  in  their  construction  we 

do  not  know. 
Cupboards  were 
made,  during  the 
latter  part  of 
the  eighteenth 
century,  of  ma- 
hogany and  other 
woods,  and  such 
corner  cup- 

boards, made  as 
a  piece  of  furni- 
ture and  not  built 
into  the  house, 
were  common 
in  the  Southern 
States,  about 
1 800.  The  cor- 
ner cupboard,  or 
beaufatt,  was 
both  convenient 
and  ornamental, 
taking  up  but 
little  room  and 
filling  what  was 
often  an  empty 
space.  Our  an- 
cestors frequently 

Illus.  71.  — Corner  "Beaufatt,"  1740-1750.    Utilized    the    large 


Cupboards  and  Sideboards  91 

chimney  also,  by  making  the  sides  into  small  closets 
or  cupboards,  and  occasionally  a  door  with  glass 
panes  was  set  into  the  chimney  above  the  mantel, 
with  shelves  behind  it  to  hold  glass  or  china. 

While  the  New  England  inventories  speak  of  cup- 
boards, the  word  kas^  or  kasse^  appears  in  Dutch  in- 
ventories in  New  York.  The  kas  was  the  Dutch 
cupboard,  and  was  different  in  style  from  the 
cupboard  in  use  in  New  England.  It  was  of  great 
size,  and  had  large  doors,  behind  which  were  wide 
shelves  to  hold  linen.  The  kas  was  usually  made 
in  two  parts,  the  upper  one  having  two  doors  and 
a  heavy  cornice  above.  The  lower  part  held  a 
long  drawer,  and  rested  upon  large  ball  feet.  A  pan- 
elled kas  of  somewhat  different  form  is  shown  in 
Illustration  72,  without  the  ball  feet,  and  made  in 
three  parts ;  the  lower  section  with  the  drawer,  the 
middle  cupboard  section,  enclosed  with  large  doors, 
and  a  second  cupboard  above  that,  the  whole  sur- 
mounted with  a  cornice.  This  kas  is  made  of  king- 
wood,  a  hard  wood  with  a  grain  not  unlike  that  of 
oak,  but  with  darker  markings.  The  bill  of  lading 
is  still  preserved,  dated  1701,  when  the  kas,  packed 
full  of  fine  linen,  was  imported  from  Holland  by  the 
father  of  Dr.  Samuel  Johnson,  president  of  King's 
College  from  1754  to  1763.  It  is  now  owned  by 
Dr.  Johnson's  descendant,  Mrs.  Johnson-Hudson 
of  Stratford,  Connecticut. 

Inventories  during  the  latter  years  of  the  seven- 
teenth century  speak  of  a  "sideboard  cupboard," 
"sideboard  table,"  and  "side-table,"  but  the  side- 
board, in  our  acceptance  of  the  word,  dates  to  the 


Illus.  72.  — Kas,    1700. 


Cupboards  and   Sideboards 


93 


latter  half  of  the  eighteenth  century.  Chippendale 
designed  no  sideboards  with  drawers  and  compart- 
ments, but  he  did  design  side-tables,  or  sideboard 
tables,  with  marble  or  mahogany  tops  and  carved 
frames.  A  Chippendale  side-table  is  shown  in  Illus- 
tration 73.  The  wood  is  mahogany,  and  the  frame 
is  carved  elaborately  and  beautifully  in  designs  simi- 
lar to  those  of  Chippendale  and  his  contemporaries, 


Chippendale  Side-table,  about  1755. 


which  abound  in  flowers,  birds,  and  shells.  The 
cabriole  legs  end  in  massive  lion's  paws.  This 
table  is  what  is  called  Irish  Chippendale. 

In  Ireland,  working  at  the  same  period  as  Chip- 
pendale, drawing  their  ideas  from  the  same  sources, 
and  probably  from  Chippendale  as  well,  were  cabinet- 
makers, much  of  whose  work  has  come  down,  notably 
side-tables.  The  shell  plays  a  prominent  part ;  on 
this  table  beside  the  large  shell  are  two  small  ones 
upon   each   leg.     The   carving   of   the   Irish    school 


94 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Cupboards  and  Sideboards  95 

is  not  so  fine  as  its  English  model,  but  is  very  rich. 
This  table  is  five  feet  long  and  the  original  top  was 
of  marble.  It  is  owned  by  Harry  Harkness  Flagler, 
Esq.,  of  Millbrook,  New  York. 

A  Chippendale  side-table  is  shown  in  Illustration 
74,  which  was  evidently  made  in  England,  from 
Chippendale's  designs,  if  not  by  Chippendale  him- 
self. It  is  very  long  and  has  had  to  sustain  a  great 
weight  in  the  heavy  marble  top,  but  it  is  in  splendid 
condition,  perhaps  because  it  is  so  heavy  that  it 
is  seldom  moved.  It  has  passed  through  many 
vicissitudes,  —  war,  fire  and  earthquake,  —  in 
Charleston,  South  Carolina,  since  it  was  brought 
there  by  the  ancestor  of  its  present  owner,  George 
W.  Holmes,  Esq.,  of  Charleston. 

These  long  side-tables  were  designed  not  only  by 
Chippendale,  but  by  the  other  cabinet-makers  and 
designers  of  the  day,  Ince  and  Mayhew,  and  Man- 
waring  ;  but  the  tables  of  these  less  noted  men 
usually  are  made  after  the  prevailing  Chinese  style, 
with  applied  fretwork  and  legs  which  are  pierced, 
thus  depriving  them  of  the  strength  necessary  in  so 
large  a  piece.  Chippendale  made  these  also,  but 
in  this  table  the  cabinet-maker  chose  a  design  which 
looks  and  is  strong.  The  carving  is  in  scrolls  done 
in  the  solid  wood,  and  is  French  in  design.  The 
bracket  at  the  top  of  the  leg  is  made  in  a  scroll, 
which  extends  entirely  around  the  table. 

The  earliest  mention  of  a  sideboard,  the  descrip- 
tion of  which  implies  a  form  of  construction  similar 
to  that  of  the  later  sideboard,  is  in  1746,  when  an 
advertisement   in    a   London    newspaper    speaks    of 


96  '  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

"a  Large  marble  Sideboard  Table  with  Lavatory 
and  Bottle  Cistern."  Chippendale's  designs,  pub- 
lished in  1753  and  1760,  contain  nothing  answering 
to  this  description,  and  both  he  and  other  cabinet- 
makers of  that  period  give  drawings  of  side-tables 
only,  without  even  a  drawer  beneath.  Such  a  side- 
board as  this  advertisement  of  1746  mentions,  may 
have  given  the  idea  from  which,  forty  years  later, 
was  developed  the  sideboard  of  mahogany,  often  in- 
laid, with  slender  legs  and  curved  front,  which  is 
shown  in  the  majority  of  antique  shops  as  "Chip- 
pendale," while  the  heavy  veneered  sideboard,  with 
claw  feet  and  compartments  extending  nearly  to  the 
floor,  made  after  1800,  goes  under  the  name  of 
"Colonial."  One  name  is  as  incorrect  as  the  other. 
Thomas  Shearer,  an  English  cabinet-maker,  designed 
the  first  of  the  slender-legged  sideboards,  and  they 
appear  in  his  drawings  published  in  1788.  Hepple- 
white's  book,  published  in  1789,  gave  similar  draw- 
ings, as  did  Sheraton's  in  1791,  and  these  three 
cabinet-makers  designed  the  sideboards  which  were 
so  fashionable  from  1789  to  1805.  The  majority 
which  are  found  in  this  country  were  probably  made 
here,  but  one  is  shown  in  Illustration  75,  which  has 
a  most  romantic  history  of  travel  and  adventure. 
It  is  in  the  half-circle  shape  which  was  Shearer's 
favorite  design,  and  was  probably  of  English  make, 
although  it  was  brought  from  France  to  America. 

In  1792  the  ship  Sally ^  consigned  to  Colonel 
Swan,  sailed  from  France,  laden  with  rich  furniture, 
tapestries,  robes,  everything  gathered  together  in 
Paris  which  might  have  belonged  to  a  royal  lady. 


Cupboards  and  Sideboards 


97 


The  Sally  came  to  Wiscasset,  Maine,  and  the  story- 
told  ".down  East"  is  that  there  was  a  plot  to  rescue 
Marie  Antoinette,  and  the  Sally  was  laden  for  that 


Illus.  75.  —  Shearer  Sideboard  and  Knife-box,  1792. 


purpose ;  and  that  a  house  had  been  built  in  a 
Maine  seaport  for  the  queen,  whose  execution  put 
an  end  to  the  plot,  and  sent  the  Sally  off  to  America 
with  her  rich  cargo.     I  cannot  help  thinking  that  if 


98  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

the  story  be  true,  Marie  Antoinette  was  spared  many- 
weary  days  of  discontent  and  homesickness  ;  for  the 
temperament  of  the  unfortunate  queen,  luxury  lov- 
ing, gay,  and  heedless,  does  not  fit  into  the  life  of 
a  Httle  Maine  seaport  town  one  hundred  years  ago. 
When  the  Sally  arrived,  her  cargo  of  beautiful  things 
was  sold.  Legends  of  Marie  Antoinette  furniture 
crop  up  all  around  the  towns  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Wiscasset,  but,  singularly  enough,  I  have  been 
unable  to  trace  a  single  piece  in  Maine  except  this 
sideboard.  Miss  Elizabeth  Bartol  of  Boston,  whose 
mother  was  a  granddaughter  of  Colonel  Swan,  owns 
several  pieces.  Colonel  Swan's  son  married  the 
daughter  of  General  Knox  and  took  the  sideboard 
with  him  to  General  Knox's  home  in  Thomaston, 
Maine,  where  it  remained  for  many  years. 

The  sideboard  is  made  of  oak  (showing  its  English 
origin)  veneered  with  mahogany.-  The  lines  upon 
the  front  and  the  figures  upon  the  legs  are  inlaid 
in  satinwood,  and  the  knife-box  is  inlaid  in  the  same 
wood.  The  top  of  the  sideboard  is  elaborately  in- 
laid with  satinwood  and  dark  mahogany,  in  wide 
bands,  separated  by  lines  of  ebony  and  satinwood, 
and  crossed  by  fine  satinwood  lines  radiating  from 
the  centre.  The  handles  and  escutcheons  are  of 
silver,  and  the  top  of  the  knife-box  is  covered  by  a 
silver  tray  with  a  reticulated  railing.  The  coffee- 
urn  is  of  Sheffield  plate,  and  the  sideboard  with  its 
appurtenances  appears  to-day  as  it  did  one  hundred 
years  ago  in  the  house  of  General  Knox.  It  is  now 
owned  by  the  Hon.  James  Phinney  Baxter  of  Port- 
land, Maine. 


Cupboards  and  Sideboards 


99 


j^Sk. 


J-^ 


Knife-boxes  were  made  of  different  shapes,  to 
hold  knives,  forks,  and  spoons,  and  a  pair  of  knife- 
boxes  was  the  usual  accompaniment  to  a  handsome 
sideboard.  The  most  skilled  cabinet-makers  were 
employed  in  their  manufacture,  as  each  curved  sec- 
tion had  to  be  fitted  most  carefully. 

Illustration  76  shows  an  urn-shaped  knife-box  of 
mahogany  inlaid  in  lines  of  holly.  The  interior  of 
the  box  is  fitted  with  circular  trays 
of  different  heights,  and  through 
the  little  openings  in  these  trays 
the  knives  and  spoons  were  sus- 
pended. 

Illustration  yj  shows 
an  urn-shaped  knife- 
box  opened.  The  top 
rests  upon  a  wooden 
rod  which  extends 
through  the  middle  of 
the  box,  and  instead  of 
turning  back  with  a 
hinge,  the  top  slides  up 
on  this  rod,  and  when 
it  is  raised  to  a  certain 
height  it  releases  a  spring  which  holds 
the  rod  firmly  in  its  place.  This  urn 
knife-box  is  in  the  Pendleton  collection 
in  Providence,  Rhode  Island. 

Urn-shaped  boxes  were  designed  by 

Adam,  and  are  shown  in  his  drawings, 

.       .J  J.I.  u        A     I    Illus.  77.  — Urn- 

to  Stand  upon  pedestals  at  each  end  01       shaped  Knife- 

the  side  table,  to  be  used,  one  for  ice-       box,  1790. 


1 


i  i 


Illus.  76.  — Urn- 
shaped  Knife- 
box.  1790. 


lOO  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

water,  and  one  for  hot  water,  for  the  butler  to 
wash  the  silver,  not  so  plentiful  then  as  now.  Very- 
soon  the  urn-shaped  boxes  were  utilized  to  hold 
the  knives,  forks  and  spoons.  Adam,  Shearer, 
Hepplewhite  and  Sheraton  show  designs  for  knife- 
boxes,  many  of  them  elaborately  carved  or  inlaid, 
but  they  must  have  been  very  costly,  and  within 
the  means  only  of  such  noblemen,  who,  in  Shera- 
ton's words,  "  are  unrestrained  with 
the  thoughts  of  expensiveness." 

The  usual  shape  of  knife-box 
found  is  shown  in  Illustration 
78,  owned  by  Mrs.  Clarence  R. 
Hyde,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  It  is 
inlaid  both  outside  and  inside  and 
the  handles  and  fittings  are  of 
silver.  The  books  of  designs 
show  boxes  of  this  shape,  with  the 
lid  put  back,  as  in  this  illustra- 
tion, and  used  to  support  a  large 
silver  plate. 

Mahogany  was  chiefly  used  in 
liius.  78.  — Knife-  sideboards,  with  inlaying  of  satin- 
box,  1790.  wood,  holly,  king,  tulip,  snake,  zebra, 
yew,  maple,  and  other  woods.  Occasionally  one 
finds  a  sideboard  veneered  with  walnut.  The 
curves  at  the  front  vary  considerably,  the  ends 
being  convex,  and  the  centre  straight ;  or  the 
ends  concave,  forming  with  the  centre  a  double 
curve.  A  sideboard  with  rounded  ends  and  only 
four  legs  was  made  in  large  numbers  around  Phila- 
delphia. 


Cupboards  and  Sideboards  loi 

Illustration  79  shows  a  Hepplewhite  sideboard 
owned  by  the  writer.  It  is  of  mahogany  veneered 
upon  pine,  and  it  was  probably  the  work  of  a  Con- 
necticut cabinet-maker  of  about  1790.  Six  chairs, 
made  to  go  with  the  sideboard,  are  similarly  inlaid, 
and  the  knife-boxes,  which  have  always  stood  upon 
this  sideboard,  have  fine  lines  of  inlaying.  There  is 
one  central  long  drawer,  beneath  which,  slightly 
recessed,  are  doors  opening  into  a  cupboard,  and 
two  bottle  drawers,  each  fitted  with  compartments 
to  hold  four  bottles.  There  is  a  cupboard  at  each 
curved  end,  with  a  drawer  above.  The  coloring  of 
the  wood  used  in  this  sideboard  is  very  beautiful. 
Each  drawer  and  door  is  veneered  with  a  bright  red 
mahogany,  with  golden  markings  in  the  grain,  and 
this  is  framed  in  dark  mahogany,  outlined  in  two 
lines  of  satinwood  with  an  ebony  line  between.  The 
oval  pieces  above  the  legs  and  the  bell-flower  design 
upon  the  legs  are  of  satinwood.  The  combination 
of  the  different  shades  of  mahogany  with  the  light 
satinwood  is  most  effective.  The  handles  are  new. 
When  this  sideboard  came  into  the  possession  of 
the  writer,  the  old  handles  had  been  removed  and 
large  and  offensive  ones  of  pressed  brass  had  been 
fastened  upon  every  available  spot,  with  that  love 
for  the  showy  which  seizes  upon  country  people 
when  they  attempt  the  process  known  as  "doing 
over."  The  lids  of  the  knife-boxes  open  back  with 
hinges,  and  the  interior  is  fitted  with  a  slanting  tray, 
perforated  with  openings  of  diflFerent  shapes  to  hold 
knives,  with  the  handles  up,  and  spoons  with  the 
bowls  up.     A  fine  line  of  inlaying  goes  round  each 


en 


Cupboards  and  Sideboards  103 

of  the  openings.  The  handles  and  escutcheons  of 
the  knife-boxes  are  of  silver.  Upon  the  top  of  the 
sideboard  are  several  pieces  of  Sheffield  plate.  At 
each  end  is  a  double  coaster  upon  wheels,  with  a 
long  handle.  Another  double  coaster,  somewhat 
higher  and  with  reticulated  sides,  stands  beside  the 
coffee-urn,  and  two  single  coasters  are  in  front.  All 
of  these  coasters  have  wooden  bottoms,  and  were 
used  to  hold  wine  decanters,  the  double  coasters 
upon  wheels  having  been  designed,  so  the  story  goes, 
by  Washington,  for  convenience  in  circulating  the 
wine  around  the  table. 

Illustration  80  shows  a  Hepplewhite  sideboard 
with  a  serpentine  front,  the  doors  to  the  side  cup- 
boards being  concave,  as  well  as  the  space  usually 
occupied  by  bottle  drawers,  while  the  small  cupboard 
doors  in  the  middle  are  convex.  A  long  rounding 
drawer  extends  across  the  centre  and  projects  beyond 
the  cupboard  below  it,  while  a  slide  pulls  out,  form- 
ing a  shelf,  between  the  long  drawer  and  the  small 
cupboard.  There  are  no  bottle  drawers  in  this  side- 
board. The  doors  are  inlaid  with  a  fan  at  each 
corner,  and  fine  lines  of  holly  are  inlaid  around  the 
legs,  doors,  and  drawer.  The  silver  pieces  upon  the 
sideboard  top  are  family  heirlooms.  The  large  tea- 
caddies  at  each  end  are  of  pewter  finely  engraved. 
This  sideboard  is  owned  by  Francis  H.  Bigejow, 
Esq.,  of  Cambridge. 

A  charming  little  sideboard  owned  by  Mr.  Big- 
elow  is  shown  in  Illustration  81.  The  ordinary 
measurements  of  sideboards  like  the  last  two  shown 
are  six  feet  in  length,  forty  inches  in  height,   and 


I04 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


twenty-eight  inches  in  depth.  These  measures,  with 
slight  variations,  give  the  average  size  of  Hepple- 
white  sideboards.  Occasionally  one  finds  a  small 
piece  like  Illustration  8i,  evidently  made  to  fit  some 
space.     This  sideboard  measures  fifty-four  inches  in 


illus.  80.  —  Hepplewhite  Serpentine-front  Sideboard,   1790. 

length,  thirty-four  in  height,  and  twenty-three  in 
depth.  It  has  no  cupboard,  the  space  below  the 
slightly  rounding  drawer  in  the  centre  being  left 
open.  There  are  fine  lines  and  fans  of  inlaying  in 
satinwood,  and  in  the  centre  of  the  middle  drawer 
is  an  oval  inlay  with  an  urn  in  colored  woods.  The 
handles  are  not  original,  and  should  be  of  pressed 


Cupboards  and  Sideboards  105 

brass,  oval  or  round.  The  silver  service  upon  the 
sideboard  is  of  French  plate,  made  about  1845,  and 
is  of  unusually  graceful  and  elegant  design. 

Hepplewhite's  sideboards  seldom  had  fluted  legs, 
which  seem  to  have  been  a  specialty  of  Sheraton, 
though  the  latter  used  the  square  leg  as  well.  A 
feature  in  some  of  Sheraton's  designs  for  sideboards 

A     ^r 


Illus.  81.  — Hepplewhite  Sideboard,  about  1795. 

was  the  brass  railing  at  the  back,  often  made  in  an 
elaborate  design. 

Illustration  82  shows  a  Sheraton  sideboard,  or  side- 
table,  with  brass  rods  extending  across  the  back,  and 
branches  for  candles  at  each  end.  This  railing  was 
designed  to  support  the  plates  which  were  stood  at 
the  back  of  the  sideboard,  and  also  to  keep  the  lids 
of  knife  and  spoon  boxes  from  falling  back  against 


lo6  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

the  wall.  The  branches  for  candles  were  recom- 
mended for  the  light  which  the  candles  would  throw 
upon  the  silver.  This  side-table  is  very  large,  meas- 
uring six  feet  eight  inches  in  length,  thirty  inches  in 
depth,  and  thirty-eight  from  the  floor  to  the  top  of 
the  table.     The  wood  is  mahogany,  inlaid  with  satin- 


Illus.  82. ^Sheraton  Side-table,  1795. 

wood.  It  is  unusual  to  find  such  a  piece  in  this 
country,  and  this  is  the  only  example  of  an  old 
Sheraton  side-table  or  sideboard  with  the  brass  rail- 
ing which  I  have  ever  seen  here.  It  is  owned  by 
John  C.  Maclnnes,  Esq.,  of  Worcester,  and  it  was 
inherited  by  him  from  a  Scotch  ancestor. 

Sheraton  speaks  of  a  "sideboard  nine  or  ten  feet 


Cupboards  and  Sideboards  107 

long,  as  in  some  noblemens'  houses,"  but  he  admits 
that  "There  are  other  sideboards  for  small  dining- 
rooms,  made  without  either  drawers  or  pedestals." 

A  charming  little  side-table,  or  sideboard,  is 
shown  in  Illustration  83,  belonging  to  Dwight  M. 
Prouty,  Esq.,  of  Boston.     It  is  of  mahogany,  and  is 


Illus.  83.  — Sheraton  Side-table,   1795. 

inlaid  with  three  oval  pieces  of  satinwood,  giving 
the  little  piece  a  very  light  effect.  The  legs  also 
add  to  that  appearance,  the  reeded  upper  section 
tapering  down  to  a  turning  and  ending  in  a  plain 
round  foot,  which  looks  almost  too  small  for  such  a 
piece.  The  outline  of  the  body  is  curved  down  to 
the  legs,  making  an  arch  upon  the  front  and  sides. 
A  sideboard  of  distinctly  Sheraton  design  is  shown 


io8 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


in  Illustration  84.  It  has  the  reeded  legs  which  are 
the  almost  unmistakable  mark  of  Sheraton.  The 
ends  of  this  sideboard  are  straight,  and  only  the  front 
is  rounding  in  shape,  unlike  the  sideboard  in  Illus- 


Illus.  84.  — Sheraton  Sideboard  with  Knife-box,  1795. 

tration  75,  which  forms  a  complete  semicircle.  The 
wood  is  of  mahogany,  inlaid  with  fine  lines  of  holly. 
The  little  shield-shaped  escutcheons  at  the  keyholes 
are  of  ivory.  There  are  three  drawers  above  the 
cupboards  and  two  bottle  drawers.     Upon  the  top, 


Cupboards  and  Sideboards 


109 


at  each  end,  is  a  wine-cooler  of  Sheffield  plate,  and 
in  the  centre  is  a  mahogany  inlaid  knife-box  similar  to 
the  one  in  Illustration  78.  This  sideboard  is  owned 
by  Dwight  Blaney,  Esq.,  of  Boston. 

A  Sheraton  sideboard  of  later  date  is  shown  in 
Illustration  85.     It  is  of  mahogany,  and  was  prob- 


fTf? 


Illus.  85.  — Sheraton  Sideboard,  about  1800. 


ably  made  about  1800.  The  arched  open  space  in 
the  middle  was  left  for  the  cellaret,  which  was  the 
usual  accompaniment  of  the  sideboard  in  those  days 
of  hard  drinking.  The  top  of  this  sideboard  is  sur- 
mounted by  drawers,  with  a  back  above  the  drawers. 


no 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


The  legs  and  the  columns  above  them  are  reeded,  and 
the  little  columns  at  the  corners  of  the  upper  drawers 
are  carved,  the  Inner  ones  with  a  sheaf  of  wheat,  and 
the  two  outside  corners  with  the  acanthus  leaf.  This 
sideboard  was  formerly  owned  by  Rejoice  Newton, 


Illus.  86.  —  Sheraton  Sideboard, 
about   1805. 


Esq.,  of  Worcester,  from  whom  It  has  descended  to 
Waldo  Lincoln,  Esq.,  of  Worcester. 

Illustration  86  shows  the  latest  type  of  a  Sheraton 
sideboard,  owned  by  the  Colonial  Dames  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  now  in  "Stenton,"  the  house  built  in 
1727   by  James   Logan,   William   Penn's   secretary. 


Cupboards  and  Sideboards 


III 


The  sideboard  stands  where  it  was  placed,  about 
1805,  by  George  Logan,  the  great-great  grandson  of 
James.  The  wood  is  mahogany,  and  the  large 
square  knife-boxes  were  evidently  made  to  fit  the 
sideboard.  The  legs,  with  spade  feet,  are  short, 
bringing  the  body  of  the  sideboard  close  to  the 
floor.     The  handles  are  brass  knobs. 


Illus.  87.  — Cellarets,  1790. 


Cellarets  were  made  as  a  part  of  the  dining-room 
furniture.  They  were  lined  with  zinc,  to  hold  the 
ice  in  which  the  wine  bottles  were  packed  to  cool, 
and  at  the  lower  edge  of  the  body  of  the  cellaret  was 
a  faucet,  or  some  arrangement  by  which  the  water 
from  the  melted  ice  could  be  drawn  off.  They  were 
designed  by  Chippendale  and  all  of  his  contempo- 


112  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

raries  and  by  the  later  cabinet-makers,  —  Adam, 
Hepplewhite,  and  Sheraton. 

Illustration  87  shows  two  cellarets  of  different 
styles.  The  cellaret  of  octagonal  shape,  brass  bound, 
with  straight  legs,  is  of  the  style  most  commonly 
found.  It  is  in  the  Poore  collection,  at  Indian  Hill. 
Cellarets  of  this  shape  figure  in  books  of  designs 
from  1760  to  1800.  The  other  is  oval  in  form,  and 
has  the  leg  usually  attributed  to  the  Adam  brothers. 
This  cellaret  belongs  to  Francis  H.  Bigelow,  Esq., 
of  Cambridge.     Both  cellarets  are  of  mahogany. 

We  now  come  to  sideboards  of  the  type  called 
*' Colonial";  why,  it  would  be  difficult  to  trace, 
since  sideboards  of  this  heavy  design  were  not  made 
until  over  twenty-five  years  after  the  time  that  the 
United  States  took  the  place  of  the  American 
colonies. 

The  heavy  Empire  fashions  gained  such  popularity 
in  the  early  years  of  the  nineteenth  century  that 
furniture  made  after  those  fashions  entirely  super- 
seded the  graceful  slender-legged  styles  of  Shearer, 
Hepplewhite,  and  Sheraton,  and  sideboards  were  made 
as  heavy  and  clumsy  as  the  others  had  been  light 
and  graceful.  The  cupboards  were  extended  nearly 
to  the  floor,  from  which  the  sideboard  was  lifted  by 
balls  or  by  large  carved  bears'  feet.  Round  pillars, 
veneered,  or  carved  similar  to  bedposts  of  the 
period,  with  a  twist,  or  the  pineapple  and  acanthus 
leaf,  were  used  upon  the  front,  and  small  drawers 
were  added  to  the  top.  At  about  this  time  glass 
handles  came  into  fashion,  and  many  of  these  heavy 
sideboards  have  knobs  of  glass,  either  clear  or  opal- 


Cupboards  and  Sideboards 


113 


escent.     The    brass    handles    that   were    used    were 
either  the  rosette  and  ring  or  the  knob  shape. 

Illustration  88  shows  a  sideboard  of  this  period, 
1810-1820,  made  of  mahogany;  the  panels  to  the 
doors,  the  veneered  pillars,  and  the  piece  at  the 
back  of  the  top  being  of  a  lighter  and  more  finely 


Illus.  88.  —  Sideboard,   1810-1820. 


marked  mahogany  than  the  rest,  which  i3  quite  dark. 
There  is  a  little  panel  inlaid  in  colors  upon  the  lower 
rail  in  the  centre.  The  handles  are  the  rosette  and 
ring,  the  smaller  handles  matching  the  large  ones. 
This  sideboard  belonged  to  the  late  Colonel  DeWitt 
of  Oxford,  Massachusetts,  and  it  is  now  owned  by 
W.  S.  G.  Kennedy,  Esq.,  of  Worcester. 


114 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Another  type  of  mahogany  Empire  sideboard, 
and  one  often  seen,  is  shown  in  Illustration  89.  It 
is  owned  by  L.  J.  Shapiro,  Esq.,  of  Norfolk,  Virginia. 
The  body  of  the  sideboard  is  raised  from  the  floor 
by  very  handsome  bears'  feet,  and  the  posts  extend- 
ing up  to  the  drawers  are  carved,  and  topped  by 


Illus.  89.  — Empire  Sideboard,  1810-1820. 

typical  Empire  carvings  of  wing  effect,  which  sepa- 
rate the  drawers.  The  centre  section  of  doors  is 
curved  outward  slightly,  and  there  is  a  band  of 
carving  across  the  lower  edge,  below  the  doors. 

In  the  eighteenth  and  early  nineteenth  century 
the  temperance  question  did  not  enter  the  heads  of 
the  fine  gentlemen  of  the  day,  and  the  serving  of 
wine  was  an  important  consideration.     The  cellaret 


Cupboards  and  Sideboards 


115 


or  wine  cooler  accompanied  the  sideboard,  which  in 
the  drawings  of  Hepplewhite,  Shearer,  and  Sheraton 
had  bottle  drawers.     What  Shearer  called  "a  gentle- 


Illus.  90.  — Sheraton  Mixing-table,  1790. 


man's  social  table"  was  designed  by  several,  with 
conveniences  for  bottles,  glasses,  and  biscuit,  and 
for  facilitating  the  progress  of  the  wine  around 
the  table.     In  this  country  the  mixing  of  punch  or 


ii6 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


other  beverages  was  furthered  by  a  piece  of  furni- 
ture called  a  mixing  table. 

Mrs.  Charles  Custis  Harrison,  of  St.  David's,  Penn- 
sylvania, owns  the  mixing  table  in  Illustration  90, 
and  a  sideboard  to  match  it.  Both  pieces  were  in- 
herited from  Robert  Morris,  in  whose  famous  mansion 

in  Philadelphia 
they  stood.  The 
wood  of  the  table 
is  mahogany 
and  the  drawers 
and  doors  are  of 
satinwood,  finely 
inlaid.  There  is  a 
well  in  the  top  for 
a  bowl,  in  which 
was  brewed 
the  punch  of 
the  Philadelphia 
forefathers.  The 
cover of  the  table 
is  hinged,  and 
the  four  shelves 
which  show  in 
the  illustration  fold  flat  when  the  cover  is  down. 

The  table  in  Illustration  91  belongs  to  the  Misses 
Garrett  of  Williamsburg,  Virginia,  and  is  known  as 
a  "mint  julep"  table,  having  been  made  for  the  con- 
cocting of  that  Southern  beverage  by  a  Baltimore 
cabinet-maker.  There  are  shelves  behind  the  door 
for  the  accessories  to  the  julep,  and  for  the  mixing 
of  it  the  top  of  the  table  is  marble. 


Illus.  91.  — Mixing-table,   1810-1820. 


CHAPTER  V 


DESKS 


F 


iROM  1644  to 
about  1670  desks 
appear  in  colonial 
inventories.  Dur- 
ing those  years  the  word 
"desk"  meant  a  box, 
which  was  often  made 
with  a  sloping  lid  for 
convenience  in  writing, 
or  to  rest  a  book  upon 
in  reading.  This  box 
was  also  used  to  hold 
writing-materials  and  pa- 
pers or  books,  and  was 
sometimes  called  a  Bible- 
box,  from  the  fact  that 
the  Bible  was  kept  in  it.  Illustration  92  shows 
two  of  these  desks  from  the  collection  of  Charles 
R.  Waters,  Esq.,  of  Salem.  The  larger  desk  is 
twenty  inches  in  length  and  thirteen  and  one-half 
in  height,  and  formerly  had  a  narrow  shelf  in  the 
inside  across  the  back.  The  front  is  carved  with 
the  initials  A.  W.  and  the  date  1654.  The  smaller 
desk  measures  thirteen  and  one-half  inches  in  length 
and  eight  in  height. 

117 


ii8 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


The  desk  with  flat  top  in  Illustration  93  is  also 
in  the  Waters  collection.  It  measures  twenty-six 
inches    in    length    by    seventeen    in    width.     It    is 


Illus.  92.  —  Desk-boxes,    1654. 


made  of  oak,  like  the  smaller  desk  in  the  preceding 
illustration. 

The  next  style  of  desk  made  its  appearance  in  the 
inventories  of  about  1660,  under  a  name  with  French 
derivation :  '*  scrutoir,"  "  scriptor,"  "  scrittore,"  '^  scru- 

tor,"  "scriptoire," 
down  to  the  phoneti- 
cally spelled  "screw- 
tor."  About  1720 
the  word  "bureau," 
also  from  the  French, 
came  into  use  in  com- 
bination with  the  word  "desk,"  or  "table."  It  has 
continued  to  be  employed  up  to  the  present  time, 
for  the  slant-top  desk  is  even  now,  in  country  towns, 
called  a  bureau-desk.  As  the  word  "desk"  seems 
to  have  been  more  or  less  in  use  through  these  early 


Illus.  93. —  Desk-box,    1650. 


Desks  119 

years,  while  for  the  last  hundred  years  it  has  been 
almost  entirely  employed,  alone  or  in  combination 


Illus.  94.  — Desk,  about  1680. 

with  other  words,   I   have   designated   as   desks   all 
pieces  of  furniture  made  for  use  in  writing. 

A  cabinet  and  writing  desk  used  by  perhaps  all 
of  the  Dutch  Patroons,  of  Albany,  is  shown  in  Illus- 
tration 94.     It  has  stood  in  the  same  house,  Cherry 


I20  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

Hill,  Albany,  since  1768,  when  the  house  was  built  by 
Philip  Van  Rensselaer,  the  ancestor  of  the  present 
owner,  Mrs.  Edward  W.  Rankin.     It  was  probably 


us.  95.  — Desk,  about   1680. 


brought  from  Holland  by  Killian  Van  Rensselaer, 
and  in  it  were  kept  the  accounts  of  the  manor.  The 
desk  is  open  in  Illustration  95,  showing  the  compart- 
ments for  papers  and  books.     The  wood  of  this  splen- 


Desks 


121 


did  piece  is  oak,  beautifully  panelled  and  carved,  and 
the  fine  panel  seen  when  the  desk  is  closed  forms, 
when  lowered,  the  shelf  for  writing.  Similar  pieces 
appear  in  paintings  by  old  Dutch  masters. 


Illus.  96.  — Desk.    1710-1720. 


Illustration  96  shows  a  desk  owned  by  Miss 
Gage,  of  Worcester,  of  rather  rude  construction,  and 
apparently  not  made  by  a  skilled  cabinet-maker.  It 
has  two  long  drawers  with  two  short  drawers  above 
them.  The  space  above  these  two  short  drawers  is 
reached  from  an  opening  or  well  with  a  slide,  directly 
in  front  of  the  small  drawers  of  the  interior,  which 


122  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

may  be  seen  in  the  illustration.  The  pillars  at  each 
side  of  the  middle  compartment  pull  out  as  drawers. 
The  handles  are  new,  and  should  be  drop  handles, 
or  early  stamped  ones.  The  characteristics  which 
determine  the  date  of  this  desk  are  the  single  mould- 
ing around  the  drawers,  the  two  short  drawers,  and 
the  well  opening  with  a  slide.  The  bracket  feet 
would  indicate  a  few  years'  later  date  than  that  of 
similar  pieces  with  ball  feet. 

During  the  first  half  of  the  eighteenth  century 
slant-top  desks  appeared  with  a  bookcase  or  cabinet 
top.  The  lower  or  desk  part  was  made  usually  with 
a  moulding  around  the  top,  into  which  the  upper 
part  was  set.  The  doors  were  of  panelled  wood  or 
had  looking-glasses  set  in  them,  but  occasionally  they 
were  of  glass. 

The  frontispiece  shows  an  extraordinary  piece  of 
furniture  owned  by  Samuel  Verplanck,  Esq.,  of  Fish- 
kill,  New  York.  It  has  belonged  in  the  family  of 
Mr.  Verplanck  since  1753,  when  it  was  bought  by 
an  ancestor,  Governor  James  de  Lancey,  at  an  auc- 
tion sale  of  the  effects  of  Sir  Danvers  Osborne,  who 
was  governor  of  the  Province  of  New  York  for  the 
space  of  five  days,  as  he  landed  at  Whitehall  Slip, 
New  York,  from  the  good  ship  Arundel  on  Friday, 
and  the  following  Wednesday  he  committed  suicide. 
Sir  Danvers  had  brought  his  household  goods  with 
him  upon  the  Arundel^  and  among  them  was  this 
secretary. 

Lacquered  furniture  was  fashionable  during  the 
first  quarter  of  the  eighteenth  century,  and  while  the 
first  lacquered  pieces  came  through  Holland,  by  171 2 


Desks  123 

"Japan  work"  was  so  popular,  even  in  the  American 
colonies,  that  an  advertisement  of  Mr.  Nehemiah 
Partridge  appeared  in  a  Boston  paper  of  that  year, 
that  he  would  do  "all  sorts  of  Japan  work." 

The  wood  of  this  secretary  is  oak,  and  the  entire 
piece  is  covered  with  lacquer  in  brilliant  red,  blue, 
and  gold.  The  upper  part,  or  cabinet,  has  doors 
which  are  lacquered  on  the  inside,  with  looking- 
glasses  on  the  outside.  A  looking-glass  is  also  set 
into  the  middle  of  the  top.  These  glasses  are  all 
the  original  ones  and  are  of  heavy  plate  with  the  old 
bevel  upon  the  edges.  Above  the  compartments, 
and  fitting  into  the  two  arches  of  the  top  are  semi- 
circular-shaped flap  doors,  which  open  downward. 
Between  these  and  the  pigeonholes  are  two  shallow 
drawers  extending  across  the  cabinet.  The  middle 
compartment  has  two  doors  with  vases  of  flowers 
lacquered  upon  them,  and  there  is  a  drawer  above, 
while  the  spaces  each  side  of  the  doors  are  occupied 
by  drawers.  The  slides  for  candlesticks  are  gone, 
but  the  slits  show  where  they  were  originally.  The 
lower  or  desk  part  is  divided  by  a  moulding  which 
runs  around  it  above  the  three  lower  drawers,  and 
the  space  between  this  and  the  writing-table  is  taken 
by  two  short  drawers,  but  it  has  no  well  with  a  slide 
like  the  desk  in  Illustration  96.  The  arrangement 
of  the  small  drawers  and  compartments  is  the  same 
as  in  the  desk  in  Illustration  96,  and  the  lacquered 
pillars  form  the  fronts  of  drawers  which  pull  out, 
each  side  of  the  middle  compartment,  which  has 
upon  its  door  a  jaunty  little  gentleman  in  European 
costume   of   the    period.     The    moulding   upon    the 


124 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


frame  around  the  drawers  and  the  two  short  upper 
drawers  would  place  the  date  of  this  piece  early  in 
the  eighteenth  century.  The  first  thought  upon 
seeing  the  feet  of  the  desk,  is  that  they  were  origi- 
nally brackets  which  were  sawed  off  and  the  large 

ball  feet  added, 
but  it  must  have 
been  made  origi- 
nally as  it  now 
stands,  for  both 
the  brackets  and 
the  balls  under 
them  are  lac- 
quered with  the 
!j^^^^^^^  ^^^^^^  old  "Japan  work" 
^^r^^  ■  ]B  the  secretary. 

\jf  I  W       A  style  of  desk 

|B  ^  ^     of     a     somewhat 

V  ■      later   date   is   oc- 

■  ■.     casionally    found, 

generally  made  of 
maple.  Its  form 
and     proportions 

Illus.  97.  — Cabriole-legged  Desk,  1720-1730.    ^^^       similar       to 

those  of  a  low-boy 
with  the  Dutch  bandy-leg  and  foot,  and  a  desk  top, 
the  slanting  lid  of  which  lets  down  for  use  in  writing. 
The  top  sets  into  a  moulding  around  the  edge  of 
the  lower  part,  in  the  same  manner  as  the  top  part 
of  a  high-boy  is  set  upon  its  base.  Illustration  97 
shows  a  desk  of  this  style  in  the   building  of  the 


Desks 


125 


Illustration    98 
and    is    a   most 


Pennsylvania  Historical  Society,  labelled  as  having 
belonged  to  William  Penn,  but  which  is  of  a  later 
date  than  that  would  imply,  as  it  was  made  from 
1720  to  1730,  while  Penn  left  this  country  in  1701, 
never  to  return  to  it. 

The  mahogany  desk  shown  in 
belongs  to  Walter  Hosmer,  Esq., 
graceful  and  charming 
little  piece,  intended 
probably  for  a  lady's 
use.  It  measures 
twenty-four  and  a 
half  inches  in  length 
and  forty-one  and  a 
half  inches  in  height. 
There  are  three  square 
drawers  in  the  lower 
part,  and  the  upper 
part  has  two  small 
square  drawers  for 
pens,  with  a  third 
between  them.  The 
two  pen  drawers  pull 
out  and  support  the 
lid  when  lowered. 
The  interior  of  the 
desk  has  eighteen  small  drawers,  shaped  and  placed 
so  that  their  fronts  form  a  curve,  and  each  little 
drawer  at  the  top  is  carved  with  the  rising  sun,  or 
fan,  like  the  middle  drawer  in  the  lower  part.  The 
entire  design  of  the  interior  is  like  that  in  a  large 
block-front  desk  now  owned  by  George  S.  Palmer, 


Illus.  98.  —  Cabriole-legged  Desk,  1760. 


126 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Esq.,  of  Norwich,  which  was  made  by  Benjamin 
Dunham  in  1769,  and  it  is  possible  that  the  two 
pieces  were  made  by  the  same  Connecticut  cabinet- 
maker. 

Another  desk  belonging  to  Mr.  Hosmer  is  shown 
in  Illustration  99.  The  bandy-legs  end  in  a  claw- 
and-ball  of  a  flattened   shape,   and  instead  of   the 

drawer,  plain  or 
with  a  carved  sun- 
burst, usually  seen 
between  the  side 
drawersof  the  lower 
part,  the  wood  of 
the  frame  is  sawed 
in  a  simple  design. 
The  upper  part 
has  three  drawers, 
and  the  lid  when 
down  rests  upon 
two  slides  which 
pull  out  for  the 
purpose.  The  in- 
terior is  quite  sim- 
ple, having  four 
drawers  with  eight  small  compartments  above.  This 
desk  measures  twenty-six  inches  in  width  and  thirty- 
nine  inches  and  a  half  in  height. 

The  desk  in  Illustration  100  is  now  owned  by  the 
American  Antiquarian  Society  of  Worcester,  and 
belonged  formerly  to  Governor  John  Hancock.  It 
measures  four  feet  six  inches  from  the  floor,  and  is 
of  the  sturdy,  honest  build  that  one  would  expect 


Illus.  99.  — Desk.  1760. 


Desks 


127 


in  a  desk  used  by  the  man  whose  signature  to  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  stands  out  so  fearless 
and  determined.  The  slanting  lid  has  a  moulding 
across  the  lower  edge,  probably  to  support  a  large 


book,  or  ledger,  and  as  it  is  at  the  right  height  for  a 
man  to  write  standing,  or  sitting  upon  a  very  high 
stool,  it  may  have  been  used  as  an  office  desk.  Be- 
low the  slanting  lid  are  two  doors  behind  which  are 


128 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


shelves.  Two 
drawers  extend 
across  the  lower 
part,  and  at  each 
end  of  the  desk 
two  small,  long 
drawers  pull  out. 
The  desk  was 
made  about  1770. 
Illustration  loi 
shows  a  mahog- 
any block-front 
desk  with  cabinet 
top,  owned  by 
Charles  R.  Wa- 
ters, Esq.,  of  Sa- 
lem, which  was 
bought  by  Mr. 
Waters's  grand- 
father, about 
1770.  It  is  a  fine 
example  of  the 
best  style  of  sec- 
retary made  dur- 
ing the  eighteenth 
century.  The 
doors  are  of  pan- 
elled wood.  The  lid  of  the  desk  is  blocked  like  the 
front,  and  like  the  lid  of  the  desk  in  Illustration  109, 
requiring  for  the  blocked  lid  and  drawer  fronts  wood 
from  two  to  three  inches  thick,  as  each  front  is 
carved  from  one  thick  plank. 


Illus.   101.  — Block-front  Desk. 
Cabinet  Top,  about  1770. 


Desks 


129 


Illustration  102  shows  a  block-front  mahogany 
desk,  owned  by  Francis  H.  Bigelow,  Esq.,  of 
Cambridge.  It  formerly  belonged  to  Dr.  John 
Snelling  Popkin,  who  was  Professor  of  Greek  at 
Harvard  University  from  1826  to  1833,  and  prob- 
ably descended  to  him,  as  it  was  made  about  1770. 
The  legs,  with  claw-and-ball  feet,  are  blocked  like 
the  drawers,  as  was  usual  in  block-front  pieces,  an- 
other feature  of  which  is  the  moulding  upon  the 
frame  around  the  drawers. 

In  all  the  desks  shown,  the  pillars  at  each  side  of 
the  middle  door  in  the  interior  pull  out  as  drawers. 
These  were  supposed  to  be  secret  drawers.     Often 


Illus.   103.  — Desk  with  Cabinet  Top,  about  1770. 


Desks  131 

the  little  arched  pieces  above  the  pigeonholes  are 
drawer  fronts.  The  middle  compartment  is  some- 
times a  drawer,  or  if  it  has  a  door,  behind  this  door 
is  a  drawer  which,  when  taken  entirely  out,  proves 
to  have  a  secret  drawer  opening  from  its  back. 
Occasionally  an  opening  to  a  secret  compartment  is 
found  in  the  back  of  the  desk.  All  these  were  de- 
signed at  a  time  when  banks  and  deposit  companies 
did  not  abound,  and  the  compartments  were  doubt- 
less utilized  to  hold  papers  and  securities  of  value. 
There  are  traditions  of  wills  being  discovered  in  these 
secret  compartments,  and  novelists  have  found  them 
of  great  convenience  in  the  construction  of  plots. 

The  secretary  in  Illustration  103  is  an  extraordi- 
narily fine  piece.  It  is  of  mahogany,  and  tradition 
says  that  it  was  brought  from  Holland,  but  it  is  dis- 
tinctly a  Chippendale  piece,  from  the  fine  carving 
upon  the  feet  and  above  the  doors,  and  from  the 
reeded  pilasters  with  exquisitely  carved  capitals. 
There  are  five  of  these  pilasters,  —  three  in  front  and 
one  upon  each  side,  at  the  back.  The  doors  hold 
looking-glasses,  the  shape  of  which,  straight  at  the 
bottom  and  in  curves  at  the  top,  is  that  of  the  early 
looking-glasses.  The  two  semicircular,  concave 
spaces  in  the  interior  above  the  cabinet  are  lacquered 
in  black  and  gold. 

The  middle  compartment  in  the  desk,  between  the 
pigeonholes,  has  a  door,  behind  which  is  a  large 
drawer.  When  this  drawer  is  pulled  entirely  out, 
at  its  back  may  be  seen  small  drawers,  and  upon 
taking  out  one  of  these  and  pressing  a  spring,  secret 
compartments  are  disclosed. 


132  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

Dr.  Holmes,  in  "The  Professor  at  the  Breakfast 
Table,"  has  written  of  this  secretary  thus  :  — 

"At  the  house  of  a  friend  where  I  once  passed  a 
night,  was  one  of  those  stately,  upright  cabinet  desks 
and  cases  of  drawers  which  were  not  rare  in  prosper- 
ous families  during  the  past  century  [i.e.  the  eigh- 
teenth]. It  had  held  the  clothes  and  the  books 
and  papers  of  generation  after  generation.  The 
hands  that  opened  its  drawers  had  grown  withered, 
shrivelled,  and  at  last  had  been  folded  .  in  death. 
The  children  that  played  with  the  lower  handles  had 
got  tall  enough  to  open  the  desk,  —  to  reach  the 
upper  shelves  behind  the  folding  doors,  —  grown 
bent  after  a  while,  —  and  followed  those  who  had 
gone  before,  and  left  the  old  cabinet  to  be  ransacked 
by  a  new  generation. 

"A  boy  of  twelve  was  looking  at  it  a  few  years 
^go,  and,  being  a  quick-witted  fellow,  saw  that  all 
the  space  was  not  accounted  for  by  the  smaller 
drawers  in  the  part  beneath  the  lid  of  the  desk. 
Prying  about  with  busy  eyes  and  fingers,  he  at 
length  came  upon  a  spring,  on  pressing  which,  a 
secret  drawer  flew  from  its  hiding-place.  It  had 
never  been  opened  but  by  the  maker.  The  mahog- 
any shavings  and  dust  were  lying  in  It,  as  when  the 
artisan  closed  it,  and  when  I  saw  it,  It  was  as  fresh  as 
if  that  day  finished. 

"Is  there  not  one  little  drawer  in  your  soul,  my 
sweet  reader,  which  no  hand  but  yours  has  ever 
opened,  and  which  none  that  have  known  you 
seemed  to  have  suspected  ?  What  does  it  hold  ? 
A  sin  .?     I  hope  not." 


Desks 


133 


The  "quick-witted  boy,  with  busy  eyes  and  fin- 
gers," was  the  present  owner  of  the  secretary,  the 
Rev.  William  R.  Huntington,  D.D.,  of  Grace 
Church,  New  York,  and  since  Dr.  Holmes  wrote  of 
the   secretary,   new  generations   have   grown   up   to 


Illus.   104.  — Block-front  Desk,  about   1770. 


reach  the  handles  of  the  drawers  and  to  ransack  the 
old  cabinet. 

The  middle  ornament  upon  the  top  was  gone 
many  years  ago,  but  Dr.  Huntington  remembers, 
as  a  boy  with  his  brother,  playing  with  the  two  end 
figures  which,  it  is  not  astonishing  to  relate,  have 
not  been  seen  since  those  years.     The  figures  were 


134  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

carved  from  wood,  of  men  at  work  at  their  trade  of 
cabinet-making,  and  the  boys  who  were  given  the 
carved  figures  for  toys  played  that  the  little  work- 
men were  the  ones  who  made  the  secretary.  The 
great  handles  upon  the  sides  are  large  and  heavy 
enough  for  the  purpose  for  which  they  were  in- 
tended, to  lift  the  massive  piece  of  furniture. 

The  block-front  mahogany  desk  in  Illustration 
8i  shows  the  blocked  slanting  lid.  The  brasses  are 
original  and  are  unusually  large  and  fine.  This 
desk  belongs  to  Dwight  Blaney,  Esq.,  of  Boston. 

A  splendid  mahogany  secretary  owned  by  Albert 
S.  Rines,  Esq.,  of  Portland,  Maine,  is  shown  in 
Illustration  105.  The  lower  part  is  bombe  or 
kettle-shaped,  but  the  drawers,  which  swell  with 
the  shape  in  front,  do  not  extend  to  the  corners, 
like  the  kettle-shaped  bureau  in  Illustration  30, 
but  leave  a  vacant  space  in  the  interior,  not  taken 
up  at  the  ends.  Three  beautiful,  flat,  reeded 
columns  with  Corinthian  capitals  are  upon  the 
doors,  which  still  hold  the  old  bevelled  looking- 
glasses.  The  handles  are  original,  but  are  not  as 
large  as  one  usually  finds  upon  such  a  secretary. 
There  are  larger  handles  upon  the  sides,  as  was 
the  custom.  The  cabinet  in  the  upper  part  is  very 
similar  to  the  one  in  Illustration  103,  but  there  is 
no  lacquering  upon  the  curved  tops  behind  the 
doors.  With  the  thoroughness  of  workmanship  and 
dislike  of  sham  which  characterized  the  cabinet- 
makers of  the  eighteenth  century,  there  are  fine 
pieces  of  mahogany  inside  at  the  back  of  the  looking- 
glasses.     The    cabinet    in    the    desk    proper,    which 


III! 
I    i-1 


^^       '^ 


Illus.  105.  —  Kettle-front  Secretary,  about  1765. 


136  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

is  covered  by  the  slanting  lid  when  closed,  is  un- 
usually good,  with  the  curved  drawers,  set  also  in 
a  curve.  This  secretary  is  generous  in  secret  com- 
partments, of  which  there  are  six.  The  centre  panel 
of  the  cabinet  is  the  front  of  a  drawer,  locked  by  a 
concealed  spring,  and  at  the  back  of  this  drawer  are 
two  secret  drawers  ;    beneath  it,  by  sliding  a  thin 


Illus.   106.  — Block-front  Writing-table,   1760-1770. 

piece  of  mahogany,  another  drawer  is  disclosed ; 
a  fourth  is  at  the  top,  behind  a  small  drawer,  and  at 
each  end  of  the  curved  drawers  is  a  secret  drawer. 
The  secretary  is  over  eight  feet  in  height. 

Illustration  106  shows  a  beautiful  little  piece  of 
furniture,  modelled  after  what  Chippendale  calls  a 
writing-table  or  a  bureau  table,  by  the  latter  term 
meaning  a  bureau  desk  with  a  flat  top.     The  same 


Desks 


137 


unusually  fine  shells  are  carved  upon  this  as  upon 
the  double  chest  of  drawers  in  Illustration  21,  and 
upon  the  low  chest  of 
drawers  in  Illustration 
31.  In  the  inside  of 
one  of  the  drawers  of 
this  writing-table  is 
written  in  a  quaint  old 
hand  a  name  which  is 
illegible,  and  "New- 
port, R.I.,  1 76-,"  the 
final  figure  of  the  date 
not  being  sufficiently 
plain  to  determine  it. 
Desks,  secretaries,  and 
chests  of  drawers  have 
been  found  with  block 
fronts  and  these  fine- 
shells.  All  were  origi- 
nally owned  in  Rhode 
Island  or  near  there, 
and  nearly  all  can  be 
traced  back  to  New- 
port, probably  to  the 
same  cabinet-maker. 
This  writing-table  was 
bought  in  1901  from 
the  heirs  of  Miss  Re- 
becca Shaw  of  Wick- 
ford,  Rhode  Island.  Miss  Shaw  died  in  1900  at 
over  ninety  years  of  age.  The  writing-table  is  now 
owned  by  Harry  Harkness  Flagler,  Esq.,  of  Mill- 


Illus. 


107.  —  Serpentine-front  Desk, 
Cabinet  Top,   1770. 


138  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

brook,  New  York.  It  measures  thirty-four  inches 
in  height  and  thirty-six  and  three-quarters  inches  in 
length.  A  door  with  a  shell  carved  upon  it  opens 
into  a  recessed  cupboard.     A  writing-table  like  this 


Illus.   108.  —  Serpentine  or  Bow-front  Desk,  about  1770. 

is  in  the  Pendleton  collection,  also  found  in  Rhode 
Island. 

Illustration  107  shows  a  desk  with  cabinet  top  and 
serpentine  or  ox-bow  front.  It  is  made  of  English 
walnut  of  a  fine  golden  hue  which  has  never  been 
stained  or  darkened.  The  doors  are  of  panelled 
wood,   with  fluted  columns   at  each   side.     It  was 


DQ 


140  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

owned  in  the  Bannister  family  of  Newburyport  un- 
til 1870,  when  it  was  given  to  the  Newburyport 
Library.  It  now  stands  in  the  old  Prince  mansion, 
occupied- by  the  Library. 

Illustration  108  shows  a  mahogany  desk  with  ser- 
pentine front  and  claw-and-ball  feet,  owned  by  Mrs. 
Alice  Morse  Earle,  of  Brooklyn.  The  serpentine 
drawers  of  this  piece  and  the  one  preceding  are 
carved  from  a  solid  block,  not  quite  so  thick  as  is 
necessary  for  the  block-front  drawers.  This  desk 
was  made  at  about  the  same  time  as  the  secretary  in 
the  last  illustration. 

The  bill  of  lading  in  Illustration  109  is  preserved 
in  the  house  known  as  the  "Warner  House,"  in 
Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  built  by  Archibald 
Macphaedris,  a  member  of  the  King's  Council.  It 
was  commenced  in  171 2,  and  occupied  in  1716,  but 
not  finished  until  1718.  Mr.  Macphaedris  died  in 
1729,  and  his  widow,  upon  her  second  marriage, 
gave  the  house  to  her  daughter,  married  then  to 
Colonel  Jonathan  Warner,  and  the  house  has  re- 
mained ever  since  in  the  possession  of  their  descend- 
ants. 

The  rooms  are  panelled,  and  are  filled  with  the 
furniture  bought  by  successive  generations.  Upon 
the  walls  hang  Copley  portraits  of  Colonel  Warner 
and  his  wife  and  her  haughty  mother,  Mrs.  Mac- 
phaedris (who  was  a  daughter  of  Lieutenant-Gov- 
ernor Wentworth),  and  of  Colonel  Warner's  young 
daughter  Mary,  in  her  straight  little  stays,  which 
are  still  preserved,  along  with  the  garments,  stiff 
with  gold  embroideries,  which  Colonel  Warner  and 


Desks  141 

his  wife  wore  upon  state  occasions.  A  number  of 
the  illustrations  for  this  book  were  taken  in  the 
Warner  house,  which  is  one  of  the  best-preserved 
old  houses  in  the  country,  and  which,  with  its  fur- 
nishings and  decorations,  presents  an  unusually  good 
picture  of  the  home  of  the  wealthy  colonist. 

The  quaint  wording  of  this  bill  of  lading,  and  the 
list  of  furniture  mentioned,  make  it  interesting  in 
this  connection,  but  none  of  the  pieces  of  that  date 
remain  in  the  house,  which  was  evidently  refurnished 
with  great  elegance,  after  1760,  when  the  old  furni- 
ture was  probably  discarded  as  "old-fashioned." 

Illustration  no  shows  a  bookcase  built  into  the 
Warner  house.  It  is  made  of  mahogany,  and  stands 
in  every  particular  exactly  as  it  was  originally  made. 
The  bill  of  lading  of  1716,  shown  in  Illustration  85, 
mentions  a  bookcase,  but  this  bookcase  is  of  later 
date,  and  was  probably  bought  by  Colonel  Warner 
for  his  daughter,  as  the  books  in  the  case  are  all 
bound  alike  in  a  golden  brown  leather,  with  gilt 
tooling,  and  each  book  has  "Miss.  Warner"  stamped 
in  gilt  letters  upon  the  cover.  The  books  are  the 
standard  works  of  that  time,  —  Shakespeare,  Milton, 
Spenser,  "The  Spectator,"  Fox's  "Book  of  Martyrs," 
and  all  the  books  which  a  wealthy  man  of  those  days 
would  buy  to  furnish  a  library.  The  dates  of  the 
editions  vary  from  1750  to  1765,  so  the  latter  date 
may  be  given  to  this  bookcase.  It  was  once  entirely 
filled  with  "Miss.  Warner's"  books,  but  early  in 
the  nineteenth  century,  during  a  great  fire  in  Ports- 
mouth, the  books  were  removed  for  safety,  and  all 
were  not  brought  back. 


142 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Illus.   110 — Bookcase  and  Desk,  about   1765. 

At  the  top  of  the  bookcase  is  a  row  of  Chinese 
fretwork,  which,  together  with  the  massive  handles, 
would  also  place  its  date  about  1765.  The  case  is 
divided  into  three  sections,  the  sides  of  the  lower 
part  being  devoted  to  drawers.  The  lower  middle 
section  has  four  drawers,  above  which  is  a  wide  flap 


Desks 


143 


which  lets 
down,  dis- 
closing a 
desk  with 
drawers 
andpigeon- 
holes. 

A  book- 
case owned 
by  J.  J.  Gil- 
bert,  Esq., 
of  Balti- 
more, is 
shown  in  II- 
lustration 
III.  It  is 
made  after 
Chippen- 
dale de- 
signs, and 
is  richly 
carved. 
The  base 
and  feet  are 
very  elab- 
orate, and 
the  cornice 
and  pedi- 
ment, are 
wonder- 
fully fine. 
The  broken 


Chippendale  Bookcase, 


T 


f\h 


I 


$\./ 


^r'^ 

!_' '_  1 — 

LmJI 

■ 

*  w 


Illus.  1 12.  —  Hepplewhite  Bookcase,   1789. 


Desks  145 

arch  has  delicate  sprays  of  carved  wood,  projecting 
beyond  the  edge,  and  laid  over  the  open  fretwork,  and 
the  crowning  ornament  in  the  centre  is  a  carved  urn 
with  a  large  spray  of  flowers.  The  ornaments  and 
mouldings  separating  the  sections  of  glass  in  the 
doors  are  as  fine  as  the  other  rich  carving  upon  this 
bookcase. 

A  wonderful  Hepplewhite  bookcase  is  shown  in 
Illustration  112.  It  is  owned  by  George  W.  Holmes, 
Esq.,  of  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  and  carries  with  it 
an  impression  of  the  wealth  and  luxury  in  Charles- 
ton, before  the  Civil  War  and  the  other  disasters  that 
befell  that  city  in  the  latter  half  of  the  nineteenth 
century. 

This  bookcase  is  nearly  nine  feet  in  length,  and 
is  made  of  unusually  fine  mahogany.  The  lower 
part  is  designed  in  a  series  of  curves  which  prevents 
the  plain  look  that  a  straight  front  would  give  in 
such  length.  The  doors  form  one  curve  and  a  part 
of  the  other  two,  which  are  completed  by  the  drawers 
at  each  side ;  a  skilful  management  of  a  long  space. 
The  curves  at  the  top  of  the  pediment  follow  the 
same  lines,  and  the  bookcase  was  evidently  designed 
by  a  master  hand.  It  was  probably  brought  from 
England,  together  with  a  secretary  to  match  it. 
Above  the  doors  and  drawers,  shelves  pull  out,  on 
which  to  rest  books.  A  fine  line  of  holly  runs  around 
each  door  and  drawer,  with  a  star  inlaid  at  the  corners 
of  the  doors,  while  a  very  beautiful  design  is  inlaid 
in  light  and  dark  woods,  in  the  space  on  the  pediment, 
which  is  finished  with  the  broken  arch,  of  the  high, 
slender  type,  with  carved  rosettes.     The  centre  orna- 


146 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


ment,  between  the  rosettes,  is  a  basket  of  flowers 
carved  in  wood. 

After  the  publication  of  the  designs  of  Shearer, 
Hepplewhite,  and  Sheraton,  the  heavy  desks  were 


Illus.   113.  — Maple  Desk,  about   1795. 


superseded  by  those  of  lighter  design,  and  the  slant- 
top  bureau  desk  was  seldom  made  after  1790. 
Sheraton  says:  "Bureau  in  France  is  a  small  chest 
of  drawers.  It  has  generally  been  applied  to  com- 
mon desks  with  drawers  made  under  them.  These 
pieces  of  furniture  are  nearly  obsolete  in  London." 
Slant-top   desks   do  not  appear  in   cabinet-makers' 


Illus.   114.  — Hepplewhite  Desk,  Cabinet  Top.    1790. 


148  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

books  published  after  1800,  and  it  is  safe  to  assign 
a  date  previous  to  the  nineteenth  century  to  any- 
such  desk. 

Illustration  113  shows  the  latest  type  of  a  slant- 
top  desk,  made  in  1 790-1 795.  The  frame  is  of 
maple,  the  drawers  being  of  curly  maple  edged  with 
ebony.  The  lid  is  of  curly  maple  framed  in  bird's- 
eye  maple  with  ebony  lines,  and  in  the  centre  is  a 
star  made  of  mahogany  and  ebony.  The  small 
drawers  inside  are  of  bird's-eye  maple,  three  of  the 
drawers  having  an  ebony  and  mahogany  star.  The 
base  is  what  Hepplewhite  calls  a  French  base,  and 
the  desk,  which  measures  only  thirty-six  inches  in 
length,  is  a  good  example  of  the  artistic  use  of  the 
different  varieties  of  maple  with  their  golden  hues. 
This  desk  belongs  to  the  writer. 

Illustration  114  shows  a  Hepplewhite  desk  with 
cabinet  top  owned  by  the  writer,  and  made  about 
1790.  The  drawers  are  veneered  with  satinwood, 
with  a  row  of  fine  inlaying  of  holly  and  ebony  around 
each  drawer  front.  The  base  is  after  Hepplewhite's 
design,  and  has  a  row  of  ebony  and  holly  inlaying 
across  it.  The  slightly  slanting  lid  turns  back  and 
rests  upon  two  pulls  to  form  a  writing-table.  The 
pigeonholes  and  small  drawers  are  behind  the  glass 
doors,  which  are  made  like  two  Gothic  arches,  with 
three  little  pillars,  and  panels  of  satinwood  between 
the  bases  of  the  pillars.  The  pediment  at  the  top 
of  the  cabinet  is  quite  characteristic  of  the  period. 

Illustration  115  shows  a  charming  little  Sheraton 
desk  owned  by  W.  S.  G.  Kennedy,  Esq.,  of  Worces- 
ter.    It  is  made  of  bird's-eye  maple  with  trimming 


Desks 


149 


of  mahogany  veneer,  and  a  row  of  ebony  and  holly 
inlaying  below  the  drawers.  The  upper  part  has 
one  maple  door  in  the  centre,  with  a  tambour  door 


of  mahogany  at  each  side,  behind  which  are  pigeon- 
holes and  small  drawers.  The  lid  shuts  back  upon 
itself,  and,  when  open,  rests  upon  the  two  pulls  at 
each  side  of  the  upper  drawer.     The  wood  of  this 


ISO 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


desk  is  beautifully  marked,  and  the  whole  effect  is 
very  light  and  well  adapted  to  a  lady's  use. 

The  •  word 
"tambour"  is 
thus  defined  by 
Sheraton  :  "Tam- 
bour tables  among 
cabinet-makers 
are  of  two  sorts ; 
one  for  a  lady  or 
gentleman  to 
write  at,  and  an- 
other for  the  for- 
mer to  execute 
needlework  by. 
The  Writing 
Tambour  Tables 
are  almost  out  of 
use  at  present, 
being  both  inse- 
cure and  liable  to 
injury.  They  are 
called  Tambour 
from  the  cylindri- 
cal forms  of  their 
tops,  which  are 
glued  up  in  nar- 
row strips  of  ma- 
hogany and  laid 
upon  canvas, 
which  binds  them  together,  and  suflFers  them  at  the 
same  time  to  yield  to  the  motion  that  their  ends 


Desks 


151 


make  in  the  curved  groove  in  which  they  run. 
Tambour  tables  are  often  introduced  in  small  pieces 
where  no  strength  or  security  is  desired." 

In  his  will,  George  Washington  left  to  Dr.  Craik 
"my  beaureau  (or  as  cabinet-makers  call  it,  tambour 
secretary)."  Illustration  116  shows  what  might  be 
called  a  tambour  secretary.  It  is  made  of  mahogany 
with  lines  of  light  wood  inlaid.  The  lid  of  the  lower 
part  is  folded  back  upon  itself.  Above  it  are  two 
tambour  doors,  behind  which  are  drawers  and  pigeon- 
holes and  a  door  in  the 
centre  with  an  oval  inlay 
of  satinwood.  Above 
these  doors  is  a  cabinet 
with  glass  doors.  The 
pediment  is  like  the  one 
in  Illustration  114.  This 
secretary  was  made 
about  1800,  and  belongs 
to  Francis  H.  Bigelow, 
Esq.,  of  Cambridge. 

Illustration  117  shows 
a  small  Sheraton  writ- 
ing table  for  a  lady's 
use,  also  owned  by  Mr. 
Bigelow.  It  is  of  sim- 
ple construction,  having 
one   drawer,   and   when 

the  desk  is  closed,  the  effect  is  that  of  a  small  table 
with  a  flat  top. 

Illustration   118  shows  a  desk  which  was  copied 
from  one  of  Sheraton's  designs,  published  in  1793, 


Illus.   1 1 7.  —  Sheraton  Desk,  1800. 


152 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


and  described  as  "  a  lady's  cabinet  and  writing  table." 
The  legs  in  Sheraton's  drawing  are  slender  and 
straight,  while  these  are  twisted  and  carved,  and  the 


space,  which  in  the  design  is  left  open  for  books,  in 
this  desk  is  closed  with  a  tambour  door.  The  slide 
which  shows  above  the  compartment  pulls  out,  with 
a  mechanism  described  by  Sheraton,  and  when  fully 


Desks 


153 


out,  It  drops  to  form  the  cover  for  the  compart- 
ments. The  Empire  brasses  upon  the  top  are  original, 
but  the  handles  to  the  drawers  are  not.  They  should 
be  brass  knobs.  This  beautiful  little  desk  was  made 
about  1 8 10  for  William  T.  Lane,  Esq.,  of  Boston, 
and  is  owned  by  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Thomas  H. 
Gage  of  Worcester. 


Illustration  119  shows  a  bureau  and  desk,  belong- 
ing to  Mrs.  J.  H.  Henry  of  Winchendon.  The 
lid  of  the  desk  turns  back  like  the  lid  of  a  piano. 
The  carved  pillars  at  the  side  are  like  the  ones  upon 
the  bureau  in  Illustration  37,  and  upon  other  pieces 
of  furniture  of  the  same  date,  about  1820. 


CHAPTER  VI 


C 


CHAIRS 

HAIRS      are 

seldom  men- 
tioned in  the 
earliest  colo- 
nial inventories,  and 
few  were  in  use  in 
either  England  or 
America  at  that  time. 
Forms  and  stools  were 
used  for  seats  in  the 
sixteenth  and  early 
seventeenth  centuries, 
and  inventories  of  that 
period,  even  those  of 
wealthy  men,  do  not 
often  contain  more 
than  one  or  two  chairs. 
The  chair  was  the  seat  of  honor  given  to  the  guest, 
others  sitting  upon  forms  and  stools.  This  custom 
was  followed  by  the  American  colonists,  and  forms 
or  benches  and  joint  or  joined  stools  constituted 
the  common  seats  during  the  first  part  of  the  seven- 
teenth century. 

The    chairs    in    use    during    that    period     were 

154 


•   Ch 


airs 


155 


"thrown"  or  turned 
chairs;  wainscot 
chairs,  sometimes  de- 
scribed as  "scrowled" 
or  carved  chairs  ;  and 
later,  chairs  covered 
with  leather,  or 
"Turkey  work," 
and  other  fabrics. 

The  best-known 
turned  chair  in  this 
country  is  the  "Pres- 
ident's Chair"  at 
Harvard  University. 
Dr.  Holmes  has 
written  of  it  in 
"Parson  TurelTs 
Legacy"  :  — 


Illus.   120.— Turned  Chair,  Sixteenth 
Century. 


" —  a  chair  of  oak,  — 
Funny  old  chair,  with  seat  like  wedge. 
Sharp  behind  and  broad  front  edge,  — 
One  of  the  oddest  of  human  things. 
Turned  all  over  with  knobs  and  rings,  — 
But  heavy,  and  wide,  and  deep,  and  grand,  — 
Fit  for  the  worthies  of  the  land,  — 
Chief  Justice  Sewall  a  cause  to  try  in. 
Or  Cotton  Mather,  to  sit  —  and  lie,  —  in." 

In  the  Bolles  collection  is  a  chair  similar  to  the 
Harvard  chair,  and  one  is  shown  in  Illustration  120, 
owned  by  Henry  F.  Waters,  Esq.,  of  Salem.  A 
turned  chair  of  the  same  period  with  a  square  seat 
is  owned  by  the  Connecticut  Historical  Society. 


iS6 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Provision  was  made  for  the  youngest  of  the  large 
family  of  children,  with  which  the  colonist  was  usu- 
ally blessed,  in  the  high  chair,  which  is  found  in 
almost  every  type.  A  turned  high  chair  is  shown 
in  Illustration  121,  brought  by  Richard  Mather  to 
America  in  1635,  and  used  to  hold  the  successive 
babies  of  that  famous  family,  —  Samuel,  Increase, 
Cotton,  and  the  others.  The  rod  is  missing  which 
was  fastened  across  the  front  to  hold  the  child  in, 
and  only  the  holes  show  where  the  pegs  were  placed 
to  support  the  foot-rest.  This  quaint  little  chair  is 
owned  by  the  American  Antiquarian  Society  of 
Worcester. 

A  style  of  turned  chair 
more  commonly  in  use  is 
shown  in  Illustration  122,  said 
to  have  been  brought  on 
the  Mayflower  by  Governor 
Carver.  The  chair  in  Illus- 
tration 123,  originally  owned 
by  Elder  Brewster,  is  of  a 
rarer  type,  the  spindles  be- 
ing greater  in  number  and 
more  finely  turned.  Both  of 
these  chairs  are  in  Pilgrim 
Hall,  in  Plymouth.  Turned 
chairs  are  not  infrequently 
found  of  the  type  of  Illus- 
tration 122,  but  rarely  like 
the  Brewster  chair  or  the 
iiius.  i2i.-Turned  High-    ^"^^^^    ^^air    in    Illustration 

chair,  Sixteenth  Century.      I20. 


Chairs 


157 


The  wainscot  chair  was  made  entirely  of  wood,  usu- 
ally oak,  with  a  panelled  back,  from  which  came  the 
name"  wainscot."  Its  valuation  in  inventories  was  two 
or  three  times  that  of  the  turned  chair,  which  is  prob- 
ably the  reason  why  wainscot  chairs  are  seldom  found. 


Illus.  122  and  Illus.  123.  — Turned  Chairs,  about  1600. 

The  finest  wainscot  chair  in  this  country  is  shown 
in  Illustration  124.  It  belongs  to  the  Essex  Insti- 
tute of  Salem,  having  been  given  to  that  society  in 
1821  by  a  descendant  of  the  original  owner,  Sarah 
Dennis  of  Ipswich,  who  possessed  two  of  these 
chairs ;  the  other  is  now  the  President's  chair  at 
Bowdoin  College. 


158 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


A  plainer  form  of  the  wainscot  chair  is  shown  in 
Illustration  125.  It  was  brought  to  Newbury  in  the 
ship  Hector,  in  1633,  and  is  now  in  the  collection  of 

the  late  Major  Ben  : 
Perley  Poore,  at  Ind- 
ian Hill. 

By  the  middle  of 
the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury chairs  had  be- 
come more  common, 
and  inventories  of  that 
period  had  frequent 
mention  of  leather  or 
leather-backed  chairs. 
Some  of  the  earliest 
leather  chairs  have  the 
under  part  of  the  frame 
similar  to  that  of  the 
wainscot  chair,  with 
plain  legs  and  stretch- 
ers, while  others  have 
the  legs  and  back 
posts  turned.  Illus- 
tration 126  shows  a 
leather  chair  made 
about  1660,  in  the  Waters  collection.  The  seat  and 
back  have  been  covered  with  leather  in  the  same 
manner  as  they  were  originally,  as  enough  remained 
of  the  old  cover  to  copy. 

A  chair  of  some  later  date,  about  1680,  is  shown 
in  Illustration  127,  also  from  the  Waters  collection, 
the  back  and  seat  of  which  were  originally  of  Turkey 


Illus.  124.  —  Wainscot  Chair,  about 
1600. 


Chairs 


IS9 


work.  The  frame  is  similar  to  that  in  Illustration 
126,  with  the  exception  of  the  carved  brace  across 
the  front,  which  feature  leads  one  to  give  the  chair  a 
later  date  than  the  one  in  Illustration  126.  The 
feet  have  been  sawed  off.  Other  coverings  beside 
Turkey  work  were 
used,  —  velvet,  cam- 
lett,  plush,  or  cloth, 
as  well  as  an  occa- 
sional cover  "  wrought 
by  hir  owne  hand." 
Until  the  latter 
part  of  the  seven- 
teenth century  a 
somewhat  architectu- 
ral style  prevailed  in 
chairs,  settles,  and 
tables.  This  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  grace- 
ful lines  and  carving 
of  the  cane  furniture 
which  came  into  fash- 
ion during  the  last 
quarter  of  that  cen- 
tury. It  is  called 
Jacobean  furniture, 
although  that  name 
would    not    seem    to 

be  strictly  accurate,  for  the  Jacobean  period  was 
ended  before  cane  furniture  was  introduced  into 
England,  about  1678.  The  cane  chairs  form  a 
complete  contrast  to  the  heavy  wainscot  or  turned 


Illus. 


125. 


Wainscot  Chair,  about 
1600. 


i6o 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


chairs  in  use  previously,  the  light  effect  coming  not 
only  from  the  cane  seat  and  back,  but  also  from  the 
frame,  which  was  usually  carved  in  a  graceful  design. 
Illustration  128  shows  a  chair  which  belonged  to 
Sir  William  Pepperell,  made  possibly  for  his  father, 


Illus.  126.—  Leather  Chair, 
about  1660. 


Illus.  127. —  Chair  originally  covered 
with  Turkey  work,  about  1 680. 


for  Sir  William  was  not  born  until  1697.  The  front 
legs,  carved  with  the  scroll  foot  turning  forward,  are 
in  the  pure  Flemish  style.  The  brace  in  front, 
carved  to  correspond  with  the  top  of  the  back,  ap- 
pears in  cane  chairs  with  a  carved  frame.     The  seat 


Chairs 


i6i 


was  originally  of  cane.  This 
chair  is  now  in  the  Alexander 
Ladd  house  in  Portsmouth. 

A  chair  of  similar  effect,  but 
with  turned  legs,  and  carved 
in  a  different  design,  with  the 
crown  as  the  central   figure  of 


Illus.   128.  — Flemish  Chair, 
about  1690. 


Illus.   129.  — Flemish  Chair, 
about  1690. 

the  underbrace  and  top,  is 
shown  in  Illustration  129. 
It  belongs  to  Miss  Mary 
Coates  of  Philadelphia,  to 
whom  it  has  descended 
from  Josiah  Langdale,  in 


l62 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


whose  inventory  this  chair,  with  its  mates,  was  men- 
tioned. Josiah  Langdale  took  ship  with  his  family 
and  belongings,  from  England  for  America,  in  1723. 

Before  sailing  he 
became  very  ill  and 
prayed  that  he  might 
die  and  be  buried  in 
the  old  graveyard, 
but  his  wish  was  not 
granted,  and  he  was 
carried  on  board, 
taking  his  coffin 
with  him.  Three 
days  out  (but  not 
far  from  land)  he 
died,  and  was  buried 
in  his  coffin 
The  coffin 
sufficiently  weighted, 
however,  and  It 
drifted  back  to  land, 
where  It  was  opened, 
and  its  occupant 
identified,  and 
Josiah  Langdale  was 
buried  from  the  old 
Quaker  meeting- 
house, as  he  had 
liius.  130.  — Cane  Chair,  1680-1690.  prayed.     His  wldow 

came  safely  to  Amer- 
ica with  her  furniture,  among  which  was  this  chair. 
Both  Flemish  and  Spanish  characteristics  appear 


,  at  sea. 
was   not 


Chairs 


163 


in  the  chair  in  Illustration  130.  The  front  legs 
are  in  the  Flemish  style,  the  scroll  foot  turning  back 
as  it  often  does.     The  twisted  stretchers  and  back 


lUus.   131.  — Cane  High-chair  and  Arm-chair,   1680-1690. 


posts  show  the  influence  of  Spanish  or  Portuguese 
fashions.  This  chair  is  in  the  Poore  collection  at 
Indian  Hill,  Newburyport. 

Illustration  131  shows  two  beautiful  chairs  owned 
by  Dwight  Blaney,  Esq.,  of  Boston.  The  Portu- 
guese twist  has  an  unusually  graceful  efl'ect  in  the 


lUus.   132.  — Cane  Chair,    1680-1690. 


Chairs  165 

tall  legs  of  the  little  high  chair.  It  will  be  noticed 
that,  instead  of  being  twisted,  the  upper  part  of  the 
front  legs  is  turned  in  balls  to  provide  a  stronger 
hold  for  the  pegs  which  support  the  foot-rest. 
There  are  four  holes  for  these  pegs,  at  different 
heights,  in  order  that  the  rest  might  be  lowered  as 
the  infantile  legs  lengthened.  The  crown  appears 
in  the  top  of  the  high  chair,  while  the  arm-chair  has 
a  child's  figure  carved  in  the  centre  of  the  top.  The 
arms  of  both  chairs  are  carved  with  the  acanthus  leaf. 

An  example  of  the  finest  carving  attained  in  cane 
furniture  is  shown  in  Illustration  132.  This  exqui- 
site chair  is  owned  by  Harry  Harkness  Flagler,  Esq., 
of  Millbrook.  The  design  of  the  top  is  repeated 
in  the  front  brace,  but  much  enlarged.  The  frame 
of  the  seat  and  the  arms  are  carved  like  those  in 
Illustration  131.  The  legs  end  in  a  curious  form  of 
the  Spanish  foot. 

The  popularity  of  the  cane  chair,  as  well  as  its 
strength,  is  attested  by  the  number  which  have  sur- 
vived the  centuries,  in  fair  condition  for  chairs 
so  light  in  appearance. 

The  cane  chair  in  Illustration  133  Is  owned  by 
Dwight  M.  Prouty,  Esq.,  of  Boston.  The  top  of  the 
under  brace  is  carved  in  a  crescent-shaped  design, 
which  is  used  again  in  the  top  rail.  The  front  leg  is  a 
Flemish  scroll  with  a  ball  beneath  it.  The  cane  back 
is  unusual  in  design,  the  carved  wood  on  each  side 
making  a  diamond-shaped  effect. 

The  chair  in  Illustration  134  belongs  to  the  writer. 
The  cane  extends  up  into  the  curve  made  in  the 
top  rail  of  the  back,  which   is,  like  the   underbrace 


1 66 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


and  the  sides  of  the  back,  more  elaborately  carved 
than  the  chairs  in  Illustrations   128   and    129. 


Illus.   133  and  Illus.   134.  — Cane  Chairs,    1680-1690. 

Stools  were  not  common,  but  are  occasionally 
found,  following  the  styles  in  chairs.  With  the 
wainscot  chairs  were  joined  or  joint  stools. 


Chai 


rs 


167 


Illus.   135.— Turned  Stool,   1660. 


The  stool   in   Illustration  135  was  used  with  the 
turned  chair,  like  the  one  in  Illustration  126. 

Illustration  136  shows  a  very  rare  piece,  a  Flem- 
ish stool,  with  a  carved  underbrace,  probably  like 
the  ones  upon  the  cane- 
back  chairs  used  with  it. 
These  two  fine  stools 
are  in  the  collection  of 
Dwight  M.  Prouty, 
Esq.,  of  Boston. 

A  chair  once  owned 
by  General  Henry 
Dearborn  of  Revolu- 
tionary fame  is  shown 
in  Illustration  137. 
The  back  and  seat  were  originally  cane,  and  it 
has   a   perfect   Spanish   foot. 

The  chair  in  Illustration  138  is  of  the  style  called 

Queen  Anne.  It  has 
Spanish  feet  but  the 
back  shows  the  first  use 
of  the  Dutch  splat,  after- 
ward developed  and 
elaborated  by  Chippen- 
dale and  others.  This 
chair  and  the  one  in 
Illustration  137  belong 
to  the  writer. 

Illus.   136.  — Flemish  Stool,    1680.  a     i,    •        u-    u       ..    •       J 

A  chair  which  retained 
some  characteristics  of  the  cane  chair  was  the  ban- 
ister-back chair,  which  appears  in  inventories  of  the 
first  half  of  the  eighteenth  century. 


i68 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Two  banister-back  chairs  owned  by  the  writer 
are  shown  in  Illustration  139  and  Illustration  140. 
It  will  be  seen  that  the  tops  and  one  carved  under- 
brace  are  similar  to  those  upon  cane  chairs,  while 


Illus.  137.  — Cane  Chair, 
1690-1700. 


Illus.   138.  —  Queen  Anne  Chair, 
1710-1720. 


the  legs  of  one  chair  end  in  a  clumsy  Spanish  foot. 
The  banisters  which  form  the  back  are  turned  on 
one  side  and  flat  on  the  other.  These  chairs  have 
the  flat  side  in  front,  but  either  side  was  used  in 
banister  chairs,  plainer  types  of  which  are  found, 
sometimes  with  the  slats  not  turned,  but  straight  and 


Ch 


airs 


169 


flat.  The  chair  in  Illustration  140  was  used  for  the 
deacon's  chair  in  the  old  meeting-house  in  West- 
borough,  Massachusetts,  built  in  1724,  and  it  stood 
in  "the  deacon's  pue,"  in  front  of  the  pulpit,  for 


Illus.   139  and  lllus.  1 40.  —  Banister-back  Chairs,  1710-1720. 


the  deacon  to  sit  upon,  as  was  the  custom.  The 
deacon  must  have  longed  for  the  two  hours'  sermon 
to  end,  if  he  had  to  sit  upon  this  chair  with  its  high, 
narrow  seat.     There  are  several  kinds  of  wood  in 


170 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


these  chairs,  and  when 
found  they  were  painted 
black. 

An  unusually  fine 
banister  chair,  from  the 
Poore  collection  at  Ind- 
ian Hill,  Newbury- 
port,  is  shown  in  Illus- 


Illus.   141.  —  Banister-back  Chair, 
1710-1740. 


Illus.  142.  —  Roundabout  Chair, 
about   1740. 


tration  141,  with 
carved  top  and  under- 
brace  and  Spanish 
feet.  The  seat  is 
rush,  as  it  usually 
is  in  banister  chairs. 
'^Roundabout" 
chairs  are  met  with 
in  inventories  from 
1738  under  various 
names,  —  *^  three- 
cornered  chair," 
"half  round  chair," 
"round  about  chair," 
—  but  they  are  now 


Chairs 


171 


known  as  roundabout  or  corner  chairs.  They  were 
made  in  different  styles,  like  other  chairs,  from  the 
turned  or  the  Dutch  bandy-leg,  down  to  the  carved 
Chippendale  leg  with  claw-and-ball  foot. 

Illustration  142  shows 
a  roundabout  chair  with 
turned  legs,  the  front  leg 
ending  in  a  Dutch  foot. 
This  is  in  the  Whipple 
house  at  Ipswich. 


Illus.   143.  — Slat-back  Chairs,   1700-1750. 


The  most  common  chair  during  the  first  half 
of  the  eighteenth  century  was  the  "slat  back,"  with 
a  rush  seat.  The  number  of  slats  varied  ;  three, 
four,  and  five  slats  being  used.     The  slats  were  also 


172 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


made  in  different  designs, 
vania  being  curved. 

Two  slat-back  chairs  are 
from   the  Whipple   house 


Illus.   144.  —  Five-slat  Chair,  about  1750. 

child's   use.       Chairs   with 
Illustrations  54  and  201. 


those  made  in  Pennsyl- 

shown  in  Illustration  143 
in  Ipswich.  The  large 
chair  was  found  in 
the  country,  stuffed 
and  covered  with 
many  layers  of  wad- 
ding and  various 
materials.  When 
they  were  removed, 
this  frame  was  dis- 
closed, but  the  tops 
of  the  posts  had 
been  sawed  off. 
The  back  posts 
should  terminate  in 
a  turned  knob,  like 
the  Carver  chair  in 
Illustration  122, 
which  this  chair 
strongly  resembles, 
the  slats  taking  the 
place  of  the  turned 
spindles  of  the  Car- 
ver chair.  The 
small  chair  is  prob- 
ably of  later  date, 
and  was  evidently 
intended  for  a 
three-slat  backs   are  in 


Chairs 


173 


Illustration  144  shows  a  five-slat  or  five-back  chair 
owned  by  the  writer.  It  was  made  about  1750,  and 
the  rockers  were  probably  added  twenty-five  or 
thirty  years  later.  They  pro- 
ject as  far  in  front  as  in  the 
back,  which  is  evidence  of 
their  age.  Later  rockers  were 
made  longer,  probably  for 
safety,  the  short  rocker  at 
the  back  proving  dangerous 
to  the  equilibrium  of  a  too 
vigorous  occu- 
pant of  the  rock- 
ing chair.  This 
chair  has  never 
been  restored  and 
is  a  very  good 
example  of  the 
slat-back  chair. 
It  is  painted 
black  with  lines 
of  yellow. 

Illustration  145 
shows  an  arm- 
chair with  a  five- 
slat  back  which 
is  now  the  prop- 
erty of  the  His- 
torical Society  of 
Pennsylvania.  The  slats  are  the  typical  Pennsyl- 
vania ones,  made  to  fit  the  back,  with  a  deeper 
curve  than  some,  and,  as  may  be  seen  by  comparing 


145. — Penns3''lvania  Slat-back 
Chair,    1740-1750. 


174 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


them  with  others  illustrated,  with  a  more  decided 
curve  to  both  the  upper  and  lower  edges  of  the 
slats.  The  stretcher  across  the  front  is  turned 
and  is  unusually  heavy. 

The   type   of   chair   succeeding   the   slat-back   in 
popularity  was  the  Windsor,  which  was  made  for 


Illus.   146.— Windsor  Chairs,   1750-1775. 

years    in    large    numbers    both    in     England    and 
America. 

Windsor  chairs  made  their  first  appearance  in 
this  country  about  1730,  in  Philadelphia,  and  "Phil- 
adelphia made"  Windsor  chairs  soon  became  very 
popular.  Advertisements  of  them  abound  in  news- 
papers up  to  1800,  and  they  may  be  found  with  the 


Chairs 


175 


slat-back  chairs  In  almost  any  country  house, 
frequently  upon  the  piazza,  whence  many  a  one 
has  been  bought  by  the  keen-eyed  collector 
driving  along  the  road.  The  original  Philadelphia 
fashion  was  to  paint  the  chairs  green,  but  after 
they  were  made  all  over  the  country  they  were 
probably   painted   to  suit  the   taste  of   the   buyer. 

There  is  a  story 
that  the  name  Wind- 
sor was  derived  from 
the  English  town, 
where  one  of  the  royal 
Georges  found  in  a 
shepherd's  cottage  a 
chair  of  this  style, 
which  he  bought  and 
had  others  made  from, 
—  thereby  setting  the 
fashion. 

Windsor  chairs  are 
found  in  several  styles, 
two  of  which  are  shown 
in  Illustration  146, 
owned  by  the  writer. 
Side-chairs      like      the 

arm-chair  were  made  with  the  dividing  strip  which 
connects  the  arms  left  out,  and  the  rounding  top  rail 
continuing  down  to  the  seat.  The  other  chair  in 
the  illustration  is  known  as  a  "fan  back"  from  its 
shape  with  the  flaring  top. 

Illustration   147  shows   a   "comb-back"  Windsor 
rocking-chair,  owned  by  Mrs.  Clarence  R.  Hyde,  of 


lllus.  147. — Comb-back  Windsor 
Rocking-chair,    1750-1775. 


176 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Brooklyn,  N.  Y.     The  middle  spindles  are  extended 
to  form  the  little  head-rest,  from  which  the  name  is 

derived. 

A  fine,  high-backed 
arm-chair,  and  a  child's 
chair  are  shown  in  Il- 
lustration   148,  owned 
by  Miss  Mary  Coates 
of  Philadelphia.  These 
chairs  may  have 
been    some    of    the 
original       Philadel- 
phia-made Windsor 
chairs,  as  they  were 


Illus.   148. 


High-back  Windsor  Arm-chair,  and  Child's  Chair, 
1750-1775. 


bought   in    that   town   by   Benjamin   Horner,    who 
was  born  in   1737. 

Windsor  writing-chairs  are  occasionally  found, 
and  one  is  shown  in  Illustration  149,  possessing 
more  than  common  interest,  for  it  is  said  to  have 


Ch 


airs 


177 


belonged  to  Thomas  Jefferson,  and  upon  its  table 
may  have  been  written  the  Declaration  of  Indepen- 
dence. It  now  belongs  to  the  American  Philo- 
sophical Society  of  Philadelphia.  The  seat  is 
double,  the  top  one  revolving.  The  legs  have  been 
shortened. 


Illus.    149. — Windsor  Writing-chair,    1750-1775. 

Illustration  150  shows  two  late  Windsor  rocking- 
chairs,  the  one  of  curly  maple  being  several  years 
later  than  the  other,  as  the  rockers,  short  in  front 
and  long  behind,  bear  evidence.  These  chairs  are 
owned  by  the  writer. 

The  Dutch  chair  with  bandy  or  cabriole  legs  and 
a  splat  in  the  back  made  its  appearance  with  the 


178  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

early  years  of  the  eighteenth  century,  and  was  the 
forerunner  of  the  Chippendale  chair.  The  first 
Dutch  chairs  have  a  back  similar  in  form  to  the 
Queen  Anne  chair  in  Illustration  108,  slightly  higher 
and  narrower  than  later  backs.  They  are  some- 
times   called    Queen    Anne    chairs,    and    sometimes 


Illus.   150.  — Windsor  Rocking-chairs,    1820-1830. 

parrot-back,  from  the  shape  of  the  opening  each 
side  of  the  solid  splat.  The  stretchers  or  under- 
braces  of  earlier  chairs  are  retained  in  the  first 
Dutch  chairs,  one  of  which  is  shown  in  Illustra- 
tion 151,  owned  by  Mrs.  Charles  H.  Prentice,  of 
Worcester. 

The  first  mention  found  of  claw-and-ball  feet  is  in 
1737,  when  "six  Crowfoot  chairs"  appear  in  an  in- 


Chai 


airs 


179 


ventory.     In  one  of  1750,  "chairs  with  Eagle's  foot 
and  shell  on  the  Knee"  are  entered. 

A  chair  is  shown  in  Illustration  152,  still  retaining 
the  stretchers,  but  with  the  claw-and-ball  foot  and  a 
shell  at  the  top  of  the 
back.  This  chair  was 
made  about  1720-1730. 
It  belongs  to  Walter 
Hosmer,  Esq. 

Illustration  153 
shows  a  chair  also  be- 
longing to  Mr.  Hos- 
mer. It  is  made  with- 
out stretchers,  and  the 
splat  is  pierced  at  the 
top. 

A  chair  which  retains 
the  form  of  the  Dutch 
chair,  with  "Eagle's 
foot  and  shell  on  the 
Knee,"  is  shown  in  Il- 
lustration 154,  but  the 
splat  is  cut  in  an  elabo- 
rate design,  with  the 
centre  opening  heart- 
shaped,  which  was  the 
shape  of  the  earliest 
piercing  made  in  the 
plain  splat.  This  chair 
155    are    in    the    Poore 


Illus.   151.  —  Dutch  Chair  (back 
stretcher  missing),   1710-1720. 


and  the  one  in  Illustration 
collection  at  Indian  Hill, 
Newburyport.  They  show  the  development  from 
the  Dutch  to  the  Chippendale  style.     The  legs  in 


i8o  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

Illustration  155  are  carved  upon  the  knee  with  an 
elaborate  form  of  shell  and  a  scroll.  The  splat  is 
not  pierced,  but  has  a  curious  design  of  ropes  with 
tassels  carved  at  the  top.  These  chairs  were  made 
about    1740-1750.      The    backs    of    the    last    four 


Illus.   152  and  Illus.   153. — Dutch  Chairs,  about  1740. 

chairs  are  made  with  the  characteristic  Dutch  top, 
curving  down  into  the  side-posts  with  rounded 
ends,  with  the  effect  of  back  and  sides  being  in  one 
piece. 

A  style  of  chair   common   during   the  first  half 


Chairs 


i8l 


of  the  eighteenth  century  is  shown  in  Illustra- 
tion 156;  one  chair  having  turned  legs  while  the 
other  ends  in  a  Spanish  foot.  The  tops  are  in  the 
bow  shape,  and  the  splats  are  pierced,  showing  the  in- 
fluence of  Chippendale  fashions.  The  splat  is  alike 
in  both,  but  the  country  cabinet-maker  who  probably 


Illus.   154  and  Illus  155.  — Dutch  Chairs,    1740-1750. 


made  these  chairs  may  have  thought  the  splat  would 
look  as  well  one  way  as  the  other,  and  so  put  one  in 
upside  down.  They  are  in  the  Deeriield  Museum, 
and  were  made  about  1750. 

A  roundabout  chair  in  the  Dutch  style  is  shown 
in  Illustration  157.  The  bandy  legs  end  in  a  foot 
with  a  slight  carving  in  grooves,  and  the  seat  is 
rounding  upon  the  corners  like  that  in  the  ordinary 


l82 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Dutch  chair.     This  very  graceful  chair  is  owned  by 
Francis  H.  Bigelow,  Esq.,  of  Cambridge. 

Easy-chairs  formed  a  part  of  the  bedroom  furni- 
ture inventoried  during  the  eighteenth  century,  and 


Illus.  156.  — Dutch  Chairs,   1750-1760. 

they  were  made  in  various  styles,  with  Dutch,  Chip- 
pendale, and  Hepplewhite  legs.  Hepplewhite  gives 
a  design  in  1787  for  what  he  calls  "an  easy-chair," 
and  also  a  *' saddle-check  chair,"  while  upon  the  same 
page,  with  intentional  suggestion,  is  a  design  for  a 
"gouty-stool." 


Chairs  183 

Illustration  158  shows  an  easy-chair  with  the  Dutch 
bandy  leg  and  foot,  owned  by  the  writer.  Such 
chairs  were  inventoried  very  high,  from  one  pound 
to  ten,  and  when  one  considers  the  amount  of  mate- 
rial required  to  stuflF  and  cover  the  chair,  the  reason 
for  the  high  valuation  is  understood.  In  the  days 
when  the  fireplace  gave  what  heat  there  was  in  the 
room,  these  great  chairs  must  have  been  most  com- 
fortable, with  the  high  back  and  sides  to  keep  out 
draughts. 

An  easy-chair  with 
claw-and-ball  feet  is 
shown  in  Illustration 
159.  It  is  owned  by 
Francis  H.  Bigelow, 
Esq.,  of  Cambridge. 
A  beautiful  easy-chair 
with  carved  cabriole 
legs,  owned  by  Harry 
Harkness  Flagler, 
Esq.,  is  shown  in 
Illustration  248. 

We  now  come  to 
the  most  important 
period  in  the  consid- 
eration   of    chairs   nius.  157.  —  Dutch  Roundabout  Chair, 

the   last   half  of   the 

eighteenth  century.  During  this  period  many  books 
of  designs  were  published,  which  probably  came  to 
this  country  within  a  year  or  two  of  their  publica- 
tion, and  which  afforded  American  cabinet-makers  an 
opportunity  for  copying  the  best  English  examples. 


1 84 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Chippendale's  designs  were  published  in  1753, 
Hepplewhite's  in  1789,  Sheraton's  in  1791.  Be- 
sides these  three  chief  chair-makers,  there  were  Ince 


Illus.   158.  —  Easy-Chair  with  Dutch  Legs,   1750. 


R. 


and  Mayhew,  1765  ;    Robert  Manwaring,  1765  ; 
and  J.  Adam,  1773  ;   and  others  of  less  note. 

Chippendale  drew  most  of  his  ideas  from  the 
French,  notably  in  the  way  of  ornamentation,  but 
the  form  of  his  chairs  was  developed  chiefly  from 
the  Dutch  style,  with  the  bandy  leg  and  splat  in  the 


Chairs 


i8S 


back.  His  straight-legged  chairs  were  suggested  by 
the  Chinese  furniture,  which  was  fashionable  about 
the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century.     These  vari- 


Illus.  159.  —  Claw-and-ball-foot  Easy-chair,   1750. 


ous  styles  Chippendale  adapted,  and  employed  with 
such  success  that  his  was  the  strongest  influence  of 
the  century  upon  furniture,  and  for  a  period  of  over 
thirty  years  it  was  supreme. 

The  claw-and-ball  foot  does  not  appear  upon  any 


1 86 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Illus.   160. — Chippendale  Chair 


with  the  claw-and- 
ball  foot,  which  was 
the  foot  used  by  the 
majority  of  his  imita- 
tors and  followers. 

An  early  Chippen- 
dale chair  is  shown  in 
Illustration  i6o,  from 
the  Poore  collection 
at  Indian  Hill,  with 
stretchers,  which  are 
unusual  in   a   Chip- 


of    Chippendale's    de- 
signs   In    "The    Gen- 
tleman's and  Cabinet- 
Maker's  Director."  His 
preference  was  plainly 
for    the    French  scroll 
foot,   shown  upon  the 
sofa  in  Illustration  209 
and    the    candle-stand 
in     Illustration     333. 
Doubtless,   however, 
he    made    furniture 


Illus.   161.  —  Chippendale  Chair. 


Chairs 


187 


pendale  chair.  The  cab- 
riole legs  are  carved  upon 
the  knee  and  end  In  a  claw- 
and-ball  foot.  The  top  of 
the  back  has  the  bow  form, 
which  Is  a  distinguishing 
characteristic  of  Chippen- 
dale. This  chair-seat  and 
the  one  following  are  very 
large  and  broad. 

The  lines  In  the  back 
of  the  chair  in  Illustra- 
tion 161  form  a  series  of 


Illus.   163.  —  Chippendale  Chair. 


lUus.  1 62.  —  Chippendale  Chair. 

curves,  extremely 
graceful  In  effect,  and 
the  carving  upon  the 
back  and  legs  Is  very 
fine.  This  chair  Is  one 
of  a  set  of  six  owned 
by  Harry  Harkness 
Flagler,  Esq. 

Illustration  162 
shows  a  chair  owned 
by  Miss  Mary  Coates 
of  Philadelphia.  The 
design     of     the     back, 


H 

a 

i 


Ch 


airs 


189 


with  some  variations,  is  often  seen.     The  top  forms 

a  complete  bow  with  the  ends  turning  up,  and  a 

shell  is  carved  in  the  centre. 

A  variation  of  this  back  is  shown  in  Illustration 

163.     The  top  has  a  fan  instead  of  a  shell,  and  the 

ends  of  the  bow  top 
are  grooved.  This 
chair  is  one  of  a  set 
formerly  owned  by 
Miss  Rebecca  Shaw 
of  Wickford,  Rhode 
Island,  who  died  in 
1900,  over  ninety 
years  of  age.  They 
are  now  in  the  posses- 
sion of  Mrs.  Alice 
Morse  Earle  of 
Brooklyn,  New  York. 
A  fine  arm-chair 
owned  by  Miss  Mary 
Coates  is  shown  in 
Illustration  164. 

Two   very  beautiful 
and  unusual  Chippen- 
dale     arm-chairs      are 
They    are   owned    by 
Esq.,     and    the    larger 


Illus.   164. 


•Chippendale  Chair. 

shown  in  Illustration  165, 
Harry  Harkness  Flagler, 
chair,  which  was  formerly  in  the  Pendleton  collec- 
tion, is  undoubtedly  an  original  Chippendale.  Its 
proportions  are  perfect,  and  the  elaborate  carving  is 
finely  done.  The  other  chair  presents  some  Dutch 
characteristics,  in  the  shape  of  the  seat  and  back, 


1 90 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


but  the  details  of  the 
carving  indicate  it  to 
be  after  the  school  of 
Chippendale. 

Illustration  i66  shows 
a  graceful  chair  with 
carving  upon  the  back 
and  knees.  It  belonged 
formerly  to  Governor 
Strong  of  Massachu- 
setts, and  is  now  owned 
by  W.  S.  G.  Kennedy, 
Esq.,  of  Worcester. 


Illus.   166.  —  Chippendale  Chair. 


lllus.  167.  —  Roundabout  Chair. 


The  roundabout 
chair  in  Illustration 
167  was  originally 
owned  by  the  Rev. 
Daniel  Bliss,  the  Con- 
gregational minister 
in  Concord,  Massa- 
chusetts, from  1739 
to  1766.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  William 
Emerson,  who  mar- 
ried his  daughter,  and 
who  was  the  grand- 
father of  Ralph 
Waldo      Emerson. 


Chairs 


191 


William  Emerson  died  in  1777,  and  Dr.  Ezra  Ripley 
succeeded  to  the  pastorate  and  the  widow,  and  took 
possession  of  the  manse  and  of  this  chair,  which 
must  have 
served  the  suc- 
cessive minis- 
ters at  the 
desk,  while 
many  hun- 
dreds of  sound 
sermons  were 
written.  It 
now  belongs  to 
the  Concord 
Antiquarian 
Society. 

An  unusu- 
ally fine  exam- 
ple of  a  Dutch 
corner  chair 
with  an  exten- 
sion top,  is 
shown  in  Il- 
lustration 168, 
owned  by  the 
Metropolitan 
Museum  of 
Art. 

The        finest      ^^^^^-   1^8.  —  Extension-top  Roundabout  Chair. 

type  of  roundabout  chair  is  shown  in  Illustration 
169.  It  is  of  mahogany  and  has  but  one  cabriole  leg, 
the  others  being  uncompromisingly  straight,  but  the 


192 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


cabriole  leg,  and 
the  top  rail  and 
arms  are  carved 
finely  with  the 
acanthus  design, 
worn  almost 
smooth  on  the 
arms.  It  belongs 
to  Dwight  M. 
Prouty,  Esq. 

Illustration  170 
shows  a  chair 
owned    by    Albert 


Ulus.   170.  —  Chippendale  Chair. 


Illus.   1 69.  —  Rounda- 
bout Chair. 


S.  Rines,  Esq.,  of 
Portland,  Maine. 

It  is  extraordina- 
rily good  in  design  and 
carving,  fine  in  every 
detail.  The  gad- 
rooned  edge  upon 
this  and  the  round- 
about chair  is  found 
only  upon  the  best 
pieces. 

Illustration  171 
shows  one  of  six  chairs 
owned  by  the  writer. . 


Chairs 


193 


The  design  of  the  chair-back  in  Illustration  172  is 
one  that  was  quite  common.  The  chair  belongs  to 
the  writer. 

The  chair  in  Illustration  173  is  owned  by  Mrs. 
E.  A.  Morse  of  Worcester;    the  one  in  Illustration 


Illus.   171   and  Illus.   172.  —  Chippendale  Chairs. 

174  is  in  the  Waters  collection,  in  Salem,  and  is  one 
of  a  set  of  six.  The  legs  and  the  rail  around  the 
seat  of  the  last  chair  are  carved  in  a  rosette  design 
in  low  relief. 

About  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century  it 
was  fashionable  to  decorate  houses  and  gardens  in 
"Chinese    taste,"    and   furniture   was    designed    for 


194 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


"Chinese  temples"  by  various  cabinet-makers. 
That  the  American  colonies  followed  English  fash- 
ions closely  is  shown  by  the  advertisement  in  1758 
of  Theophilus  Hardenbrook,  surveyor,  who  with 
unfettered  fancy  modestly  announced  that  he  "de- 
signs all  sorts  of  Buildings,  Pavilions,  Summer 
Rooms,    Seats   for  Gardens";      also   "all    sorts   of 


lUus.   173  and  Illus.   174.  —  Chippendale  Chairs. 

rooms  after  the  taste  of  the  Arabian,  Chinese,  Per- 
sian, Gothic,  Muscovite,  Paladian,  Roman,  Vitruvian, 
and  Egyptian." 

Illustration    175    shows    a    Chippendale    chair   in 
"Chinese  taste"  owned  by  Harry  Harkness  Flag- 


Chairs 


195 


ler,  Esq.,  of  Millbrook.  The  legs  and  stretchers 
are  straight,  like  those  of  Chinese  chairs,  and  the 
outline  of  the  back  is  Chinese,  but  the  delicate 
carving  is  English.  A  sofa  and  a  chair  in  "Chinese 
taste"  are  shown  in 
Illustration  211. 

Illustration  176  and 
Illustration  177  show- 
two  Chippendale 
chairs  with  backs  of 
entirely  different  de- 
sign from  the  splat- 
back  chairs  previously 
illustrated.  Their 
form  was  probably 
suggested  by  that  of 
the  slat-back  chair. 
Illustration  176  is  one 
of  a  set  of  six,  origi- 
nally owned  by  Joseph 
Brown,  one  of  the 
four  famous  brothers 
of  Providence,  whose 
dignified  names,  John, 
Joseph,  Nicholas,   and 

Moses,  have  been  familiarly  rhymed  as  "John  and 
Josey,  Nick  and  Mosey."  The  six  chairs  are  now 
owned  by  their  kinswoman,  Mrs.  David  Thomas 
Moore  of  Westbury,  Long  Island.  Each  slat  is 
delicately  carved,  and  the  chairs  represent  the  finest 
of  this  type  of  Chippendale  chairs.  Illustration  177 
shows  a  chair  owned  by  Charles  R.  Waters,  Esq.,  of 


lus.   175.  —  Chippendale  Chair  in 
"  Chinese  Taste." 


196 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Salem,  with  carved  slats  in 
the  back.  Chairs  with  this 
back  but  with  plain  slats  are 
not  unusual. 

Hepplewhite's  designs 
were  published  in  1789,  and 
his  light  and  attractive  fur- 
niture soon  became  fashion- 


Ulus.   176. —  Chippendale  Chair 

able,  superseding  that 
of  Chippendale,  which 
was  pronounced  "ob- 
solete." Hepplewhite's 
aim  was  to  produce  a 
light  effect,  and  to  this 
he  often  sacrificed  con- 
siderations of  strength 
and  durability.     While 

Chippendale  used  no  inlaying,  Hepplewhite's  fur- 
niture is  ornamented  with  both  carving  and  inlay, 
as   well   as   painting.      His    chairs   may  be   distin- 


Illus.  177. — Chippendale  Chair. 


Chairs 


197 


guished  by  the  shape  and  construction  of  the  back, 
which  was  usually  of  oval,  shield,  or  heart  shape. 
The  carving  in  Hepplewhite's  chairs  is  of  quite 
a  different  character  from  that  of  Chippendale. 
The  three  feathers  of  the  Prince  of  Wales  often 
form  a  part  of  the  back,  for  Hepplewhite  was  of 
the  Prince's  party  when  feeling  ran  strong  during 
the  illness  of  George  III.  Carved  drapery,  wheat, 
and  the  bell-flower, 
sometimes  called 
husks,  are  other  char- 
acteristics of  Hepple- 
white's  chairs,  two  of 
which  are  shown  in 
Illustration  178,  be- 
longing to  Dwight 
Blaney,  Esq.,  of  Bos- 
ton. The  Prince's 
feathers  appear  in 
the  middle  of  one 
chair-back  and  upon 
the  top  rail  of  the 
other. 

Illustration  179 
shows  an  arm-chair 
from  a  set  of  Hepple- 
white dining-chairs 
owned  by  Francis  H. 
Bigelow,  Esq.,  of  Cambridge.  The  back  is  carved 
with  a  design  of  drapery  and  ears, of  wheat. 

A  chair  is  shown  in  Illustration   180,  which  has 
features  of  several  styles.     The  legs  are  French  and 


Illus.   179.  —  Hepplewhite  Chair. 


Chairs 


199 


Illus.  1 80.  —  Hepplewhite 
Chair,  1785. 


ably  an  early  Hepple- 
white chair,  made  be- 
fore his  own  style  was 
fully  formulated,  and 
the  combination  has 
resulted  in  a  beauti- 
ful chair.  It  belongs 
to  J.  J.  Gilbert,  Esq., 
of  Baltimore. 

The  chair  in  Illus- 
tration 181  is  also  in 
Mr.  Gilbert's  collec- 
tion.    Although     the 


the  width  of  the 
seat;  the  splat  joins 
the  seat  in  the  man- 
ner of  Chippendale ; 
the  anthemion  de- 
sign of  the  splat  is 
in  the  Adam  style 
and  the  carving  on 
the  top  rail,  but 
the  rail  is  Hepple- 
white's.     It  is  prob- 


Illus.  181.  —  Hepplewhite 
Chair,  1789. 


200 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


shield  back  is  generally  accredited  to  Hepplewhite, 
Adam  made  it  before  him  and  it  was  used  by  the 
other  chair-makers  of  his  time.  This  chair  shows 
very  strongly  the  Adam  influence  in  the  carved  and 
reeded   legs  and   the  flne   carving,   which   is    called 

guilloche,  upon  the  arms 
and  around  the  back  and 
the  frame  of  the  seat. 
The  entire  chair  is 
beautifully  carved. 

The  arm-chair  shown 
In  Illustration  182  has 
stood  since  1835  in  front 
of  the  pulpit  ii)  the  Uni- 
tarian church  in  Leices- 
ter, Massachusetts,  but 
of  its  history  nothing  is 
known  for  the  years  be- 
fore that  date,  when  it 
was  probably  given  to 
the  new  church,  then  just 
starting  with  its  young 
pastor.  Rev.  Samuel 
May.  This  chair,  like 
the  one  in  Illustration  181,  which  it  resembles,  has 
characteristics  of  different  styles.  It  is  probable 
that  both  Hepplewhite  and  Sheraton  had  practised 
their  trade  some  years,  and  had  made  much  furni- 
ture before  their  books  were  published  in  1789  and 
1791,  and  had  adopted  and  adapted  many  ideas  from 
the  cabinet-makers  and  designers  of  the  day,  as  well 
as  from  each  other. 


Illus.   182. 


Hepplewhite  Chair, 
1789. 


Chai 


airs 


20 1 


The  chair  in  Illustration  183  was  used  by  Washing- 
ton in  the  house  occupied  as  the  Presidential  man- 
sion in  Philadelphia.  It  is  now  owned  by  the  Histori- 
cal Society  of  Pennsylvania.  This  chair  has  the  same 
guilloche  carving  as  the  chair  in  Illustration  181, 
extending  entirely  around  the  back.     The  legs  are 


Illus.  183.— French  Chair.  1 790.     Illus.  1 84.— Hepplewhite  Chair,  1 790. 

short  and  the  chair  low  and  wide,  and  this  with  the 
stuffed  back  indicates  that  the  chair  is  French. 

The  chair  in  Illustration  184  is  also  in  the  rooms 
of  the  Historical  Society,  and  is  one  of  the  set  owned 
by  Washington.  The  urn  and  festoons  in  the  back 
show  a  marked  Adam  influence,  but  the  three  feathers 
above  the  urn  are  Hepplewhite's. 


202 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


A  very  fine  arm  chair  is  shown 

Illustration    185,    owned    by 

'..  Prouty,   Esq.     The 

mahogany    frame    is 

heavier  than  in  later 

of    the    same 

and    the    arms 

end  in  a  bird's 

head  and  bill. 

During  the 
transition  pe- 
riod between 
Chippendale 
and        Hepple- 


IIlus    185. —Arm 
Chair,   1785. 


wh  ite, 
features 
of  the 
work  of 
both   appeared   in   chairs. 

The  chair  in  Illustration  186 
has  the  Chippendale  splat, 
with  the  three  feathers  in 
it,  and  the  top  rail  has  the 
Hepplewhite  curve.  It  be- 
longs to  Mrs.  Clarence  R. 
Hyde,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 
Illustration  187  shows 
one  of  a  set  of  six  very 
beautiful  Hepplewhite 
chairs    bought   originally 


Chairs 


203 


by  the  grandfather  of  their  present  owner,  Charles  R. 
Waters,  Esq.,  of  Salem.  This  chair  is  carved  upon 
the  legs  with  the  bell-flower,  and  the  three  middle 
rails  of  the  back  are  exquisitely  carved.     Chairs  of 


Illus.   187  and  1 


Hepplewhite  Chairs. 


this  design,  with  the  ornament  of  inlay  instead  of 
carving,  are  also  found. 

The  chair  in  Illustration  188  belongs  to  W.  S.  G. 
Kennedy,  Esq.,  of  Worcester.  The  rails  are  not 
carved  or  inlaid,  but  the  fan-shaped  ornament  at 
the  lower  point  of  the  shield  back  is  of  holly  and 
ebony,  inlaid.  This  design  of  Hepplewhite  chair 
is  more  frequently  found  than  any  other. 


204 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


A  specialty  of  Hepple- 
white's  was  what  he  terms 

a  very  elegant  fashion." 
The  chair-backs  were  fin- 
ished with  painted  or  ja- 
panned work.  This  was  not 
the  lacquering  which  had 
been  fashionable  during  the 


Illus.  1 89.  —  Hepplewhite  Chair. 

first  half  of  the  eighteenth 
century,  with  Chinese  fig- 
ures, but  it  was  a  process 
of  coatmg  the  chairs  with 
a  sort  of  lacquer  varnish, 
and  then  painting  them 
in  gold  or  colors  upon  a 
black  ground. 

Haircloth  was  used  for 


Illus.  190.  —  Hepplewhite  Chair. 

the  seats  of  chairs;     the 


edges  were  finished  with  brass-headed  nails,  arranged 


sometimes  to  simulate  festoons,  as  in  Illustration 


191, 


Chairs 


205 


A  Hepplewhite  chair  with  a  back  of  quite  a  differ- 
ent design  from  the  examples  described  previously, 
is  shown  in  Illustration  189.  The  back  is  heart- 
shaped,  and  the  ornamentation  is  of  inlaying  in  light 
and  dark  wood.  This  chair  is  one  of  four  in  the 
Poore  collection  at  Ind- 
ian Hill.  They  formed  a 
part  of  the  set  bought  by 
Washington  for  Mount 
Vernon,  and  were  in  use 
there  at  the  time  of  his 
death. 

A  chair  owned  by 
Miss  Mary  Coates  of 
Philadelphia  is  shown  in 
Illustration  190.  The 
characteristic  bell-flower 
is  carved  in  the  middle 
of  the  back  of  this  chair. 

Hepplewhite  in  turn 
was  superseded  by  Shera- 
ton, whose  book  of  de- 
signs was  published  in 
1791,  only  two  years  later 

than  Hepplewhite's ;  but  that  short  time  sufficed 
for  Sheraton  to  say  that  "this  book  [Hepplewhite's] 
has  already  caught  the  decline";  while  he  asserted 
of  Chippendale's  designs,  that  "they  are  now  wholly 
antiquated  and  laid  aside,  though  possessed  of  great 
merit,  according  to  the  times  in  which  they  were 
executed." 

Sheraton's  chairs  retained  many  of  Hepplewhite's 


Illus.   191. — Sheraton  Chair. 


2o6 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


characteristics,  but  the  great  difference  between  them 
lay  in  the  construction  of  the  back,  which  it  was  Sher- 
aton's aim  to  strengthen.  His  chairs,  except  in  rare 
cases,  do  not  have  the  heart  or  shield  shaped  back, 
which  distinctly  marks  Hepplewhite  chairs,  but  the 
back   is    rectangular   in    shape,    the    top    rail    being 


lUus.   192. — Sheraton  Chairs. 

curved,  straight,  or  with  a  raised  piece  in  the  centre, 
corresponding  to  the  piece  in  the  middle  of  the 
back.  A  rail  extends  across  the  back  a  few  inches 
above  the  seat,  and  the  splat  or  spindles  end  in  this 
rail,  and  never  extend  to  the  seat. 

Sheraton's  designs  show  chairs  with  carved,  twisted, 
reeded,  or  plain  legs.     The  best  Sheraton  chairs  found 


Chal 


rs 


207 


in  this  country  usually  have  straight  legs,  slightly 
smaller  than  those  upon  the  straight-legged  Chip- 
pendale chairs.  The  tapering,  reeded  leg,  which  is 
characteristic  of  Sheraton,  is  not  found  so  often 
upon  his  chairs  as  upon  other  pieces  of  furniture. 

The  chair  in  Illustration  191  is  owned  by  the 
Misses  Nichols  of  Salem,  and  it  was  brought  with 
its  mates  to  furnish  the  house  built  by  Mclntire  in 
1783.  The  chairs  were  imported,  and  as  the  back  is 
precisely  like  one  of  Sheraton's  designs  in  his  book, 
they  may  have  been  made  by  him,  before  the  book 
was  published  in  1791.  The  impression  given  by  this 
chair  is  of  strength   combined   with   lightness,   the 


'^¥r^- 


Illus.   193. — Sheraton  Chair. 


2o8 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


effect  which  Sheraton  strove  to  attain,  while  at  the 
same  time  he  made  the  chairs  strong  not  only  in  ef- 
fect but  in  reality, 
an  end  which  Hepple- 
white  did  not  accom- 
plish. The  legs  of 
the  chair  are  plainly 
turned,  but  in  the 
original  design  they 
are  reeded. 


lllus.  195. — Sheraton  Chair 

Illustration  192 
shows  two  Sheraton 
chairs  owned  by  Fran- 
cis H.  Bigelow,  Esq. 
It  will  be  seen  that 
the  carving  in  the  back 
is  similar  in  design  to 
that  of  Hepplewhite 
chairs,  and  the  carving 
and  shape  of  the  upper 
part  of  the  chair-back  with  the  curved  top  rail  is 
often  seen  upon  Hepplewhite's  "bar-back"  chairs. 

Mr.  Bigelow  also  owns  the  upholstered  arm-chair 
in  Illustration  193,  sometimes  called  a  Martha  Wash- 


Illus.  196.  —  Sheraton  Chair. 


Chairs 


209 


ington  easy-chair,  from  a 
similar  chair  at  Mount  Ver- 
non. This  chair  and  one 
in  Illustration  194,  which 
belongs  to  Mr.  Bigelow,  are 
after  the  Sheraton  style, 
although  these  designs  do 
not  appear  in  Sheraton's 
books.  The  arm-chair  in 
Illustration  194  is  said  to 


lUus.  197.  —  Sheraton  Chair. 

have  belonged  to  Jerome 
Bonaparte,  but  as  Lucien 
and  Joseph  Bonaparte 
both  had  residences  in 
this  country,  it  would  more 
probably  have  been  owned 
by  one  of  them  rather  than 
by  Jerome,  whose  career 
in  America  was  short  and 
meteoric.  The  wood  of 
this   chair  is   cherry,   said 

to    have    grown    upon    the    nius.  "198.  — Painted  Sheraton 

island  of  Corsica,  and  the  Chair,  1810-1815. 


2IO 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


style  of  the  back,  while  upon  the  Sheraton  order, 
differs  from  any  of  Sheraton's  designs. 

The  chair  In  Illustration  195  belongs  to  Walter 
Bowne  Lawrence,  Esq.,  of  Flushing,  Long  Island. 
It  is  one  of  the  finest  types  of  a  Sheraton  chair. 
The  front  legs  end  in  what  Hepplewhite  called  a 


Late  Mahogany  Chairs,   1830-1845. 


"spade  foot,"  which  was  frequently  employed  by 
him  and  occasionally  by  Sheraton. 

Illustration  196  shows  a  Sheraton  chair  owned  by 
Mrs.  E.  A.  Morse  of  Worcester.  The  top  bar  Is 
carved  with  graceful  festoons  of  drapery,  and  the 
back  is  in  a  design  which  Is  often  seen. 

A  chair  after  Sheraton's  later  designs  is  shown  In 
Illustration  197.     It  is  one  which  was  popular  in  the 


Chairs  211 

first  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century.  This  chair 
is  part  of  a  set  inherited  by  Waldo  Lincoln,  Esq., 
of  Worcester. 

The  chair  shown  in  Illustration  198  is  owned  by 
Mrs.  J.  C.  Cutter  of  Worcester.  It  has  a  rush  seat, 
and  the  back  is  painted  in  the  manner  called  japan- 
ning, with  gilt  flowers  upon  a  black  ground.  These 
chairs,  which  were  called  "Fancy  chairs,"  were  very 
popular  during  the  first  part  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury, together  with  settees  decorated  in  the  same 
fashion. 

Illustration  199  shows  two  mahogany  chairs 
owned  by  Waldo  Lincoln,  Esq.,  of  the  styles  which 
were  fashionable  from  1840  to  1850,  examples  of 
which  may  be  found  in  almost  every  household, 
along  with  heavy  sofas  and  tables  of  mahogany,  solid 
or  veneered. 

In  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century  and 
in  the  last  quarter  of  the  eighteenth,  furniture 
was  fashionable  made  of  the  light-colored  woods ; 
maple,  curly  and  bird's-eye,  and  in  the  more  expensive 
pieces,  satinwood,  which  was  used  chiefly  as  a  veneer 
on  account  of  Its  cost.  The  two  varieties  of  maple, 
being  a  native  wood  and  plentiful,  were  always  used 
lavishly,  and  rarely  as  a  veneer.  The  thick  maple 
drawers  In  old  bureaus  have  been  sawed  Into  many 
thicknesses  to  use  In  violins,  for  which  their 
seasoned  wood  is  especially  valuable.  The  parlor 
In  John  Hancock's  house,  in  Boston,  was  "fur- 
nished in  bird's-eye  maple  covered  with  damask 
brocade."  As  Governor  Hancock  was  a  man  of 
inherited  wealth  and  probably  of  fashion  as  well,  his 


212 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


parlor  would  be  furnished  according  to  the  mode  of 
the  day. 

The   three   maple   chairs   in   Illustration   200   be- 
long to  the  writer.     They  were  probably  made  about 


Illus.  200.  — Maple  Chairs,   1820-1830. 


1820  to  1830.  The  wood  in  all  is  beautifully  marked 
curly  maple,  and  in  the  upper  rail  of  two  is  set  a 
strip  of  bird's-eye  maple.  The  design  of  the  carved 
piece  across  the  back  is  one  that  was  used  at  this 
time  in  both  maple  and  mahogany  chairs. 


CHAPTER  VII 


SETTLES,  SETTEES,  AND  SOFAS 


T 


'HE  first  form  of 
the  long  seat,  after- 
ward developed 
into  the  sofa,  was 
the  settle,  which  is  found 
in  the  earliest  inventories  in 
this  country,  and  still  earlier 
in  England.  The  settle 
oftenest  seen  in  America 
is  of  simple  construction, 
usually  of  pine,  and  painted  ; 
probably  the  work  of  a 
country  cabinet-maker,  or 
even  a  carpenter.  It  was 
made  to  stand  by  the  great 
fireplace,  to  keep  the 
draughts  out  and  the  heat 
in,  with  its  tall  back,  and 
the  front  of  the  seat  com- 
ing down  to  the  floor;  and  sadly  was  it  needed  in 
those  days  when  the  ink  froze  in  the  standish,  as 
the  minister  sat  by  the  fire  to  write  his  sermon. 
Illustration  201  shows  a  settle  in  the  Deerfield 
Museum,    in    the   kitchen.     In   front  of  the   settle 

213 


214 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


stands  a  flax-wheel,  which  kept  the  housewife  busy 
on  winter  evenings,  spinning  by  the  firelight. 
Beside  the  settle  is  a  rudely  made  light-stand,  with 
a  tin  lamp,  and  a  brass  candlestick  with  the  ex- 
tinguisher on  its  top,  and  snuffers  and  tray  beside 
it.     Upon  one  side  of  the  settle  is  fastened  a  candle- 


Illus.  201.  — Pine  Settle,  Eighteenth  Century. 


Stick  with  an  extension  frame.  Behind  the  flax- 
wheel  is  a  banister-back  chair,  the  plain  type  of  the 
chairs  in  Illustration  139,  and  at  the  right  of  the 
picture  is  a  slat-back,  flag-bottomed  chair  such  as 
may  be  seen  in  Illustration  143. 

Illustration  202  shows  a  settle  of  oak,  which  has 


Settles,  Settees,  and  Sofas 


215 


upon  the  back  the  carved  date  1708.  The  front 
of  the  seat  has  four  panels,  while  the  back  has  five 
lower  panels,  with  a  row  of  small  panels  above.  The 
top  rail  is  carved  in  five  groups,  the  middle  design 
of  each  group  being  a  crown,  and  between  each 
small   panel  is  a  turned  ornament.     The  arms  are 


Illus.  202.  — Oak  Settle,   1708. 


like  the  arms  of  the  wainscot  chairs  in  Illustration 
124  and  Illustration  125.  The  top  of  the  seat  does 
not  lift  up,  as  was  often  the  case,  disclosing  a  box 
below,  but  is  fastened  to  the  frame,  and  probably 
there  were  provided  for  this  settle  the  articles  often 
mentioned  in  inventories,  "chusshings,"  "quysyns," 
or  cushions,  which  the  hard  seat  made  so  necessary. 
This  settle  belongs  to  Dwight  Blaney,  Esq.,  of 
Boston. 


2i6  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

The  word  "settee"  is  the  diminutive  of  "settle," 
and  the  long  seat  which  corresponded  to  the  chairs 
with  the  frame  of  turned  wood  was  called  a  settee  or 
small  settle,  being  of  so  much  lighter  build  than  the 
settle. 

Illustration  203  shows  a  settee  owned  by  the 
Essex  Institute  of  Salem,   and   said  to  have  been 


Illus.  203.  —  Settee  covered  with  Turkey  work,    1670-1680. 

brought  to  this  country  by  a  Huguenot  family 
about  1686.  It  is  upholstered,  like  the  chairs  of 
the  same  style,  in  Turkey  work,  the  colors  in  which 
are  still  bright.  Turkey  work  was  very  fashionable 
at  that  time,  rugs  being  imported  from  Turkey  in 
shapes  to  fit  the  seat  and  back  of  chairs  or  settees. 
Another  form  of  the  long  seat  was  one  which  was 


Settles,  Settees,  and  Sofas 


217 


intended  to  serve  as  a  couch,  or  "day-bed."  It  was 
really  what  its  French  name  implies,  chaise  tongue, 
or  long  chair,  the  back  being  an  enlarged  chair-back, 
and  the  body  of  the  couch  equalling  three  chair- 
seats.  Illustration  204  shows  a  couch  owned  by 
the  Concord  Antiquarian  Society,  which  formerly 
belonged    to   the    descendants    of   the    Rev.    Peter 


Illus.  204.  —  Flemish  Couch,   1680-1690. 


Bulkeley.  It  had  originally  a  cane  seat,  and  evi- 
dently formed  part  of  a  set  of  furniture,  for  a  chair 
of  the  same  style  is  with  it,  which  also  belonged  to 
the  Bulkeley  family.  Both  couch  and  chair  are 
Flemish  in  design,  with  the  scroll  foot  turning 
backward.  The  braces  between  the  legs  are  carved 
in  the  same  design  as  the  top  of  the  back. 

Illustration  205  shows  a  walnut  couch  made  in  the 
Dutch  style  about  1 720-1 730,  with  bandy  legs  and 


2l8 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Dutch  feet.     The  splat  in  the  back  is 

Dutch,  but  instead  of  the  side-posts 

curving   into   the   top    rail   like   the 


llus.  205.  — Dutch  Couch,    1720-1730. 

Dutch  chairs,  in  which  the  top  and  the  side-posts 
apparently  form  one  piece,  these  posts  run  up,  with 
a  finish  at  the  top  like  the  Flemish  chairs,  and  like 
the  posts  in  the  back  of  the  couch 
in  Illustration  204.  It  is  interest- 
ing to  compare  this  couch,  which  is 
owned  by  the  Misses  Hosmer  of 
Concord,  Massachusetts,  with  the 


Illus.  206.  — Chippendale  Couch,  1760-1770. 


Settles,  Settees,  and  Sofas 


219 


following  one.  Illustration  206,  which  belongs  to 
Mr.  Walter  Hosmer  of  Wethersfield,  Connecticut, 
and  was  made  about  1770.  This  couch,  of  mahog- 
any, has  a  back  like  one  of  the  familiar  Chippendale 
chairs,  somewhat  higher  than  the  back  of  the  couch 


in  Illustration  205,  which  is  longer  than  this  Chip- 
pendale couch.  The  bandy  legs  with  claw-and-ball 
feet  are  unusually  well  proportioned,  and  the  effect 
of  the  piece  of  furniture  is  extremely  elegant.  The 
canvas  seat  is  drawn  tight  by  ropes  laced  over 
wooden  knobs. 


220 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


A  double  chair  owned  by  Dwight  M.  Prouty,  Esq., 
of  Boston,  is  shown  in  Illustration  207.  The  splats 
are  cut  in  an  early  design,  with  the  heart-shaped 
opening  in  the  lower  part.  The  settee  is  not  so  wide 
as  some,  and  the  back  is  not  equal  to  two  chair  backs, 


Illus.  208.  — Sofa,   1740. 


lacking  the  side  rails  which  are  usually  carried  down 
in  the  middle  between  the  splats.  The  front  legs 
have  the  acanthus  carving  upon  the  knees,  and  end 
in  a  Dutch  foot.  This  settee  is  what  was  called 
a  "Darby  and  Joan"  seat,  just  wide  enough  for 
two. 


Settles,  Settees,  and  Sofas 


221 


A  sofa  is  shown  in  Illustration  208  f rom  "  Stenton," 
the  fine  old  house  in  Philadelphia,  now  occupied 
by  the  Colonial  Dames.  The  back  and  arms  are  up- 
holstered, and  the  shape  of  the  arms,  and  the  curved 


Illus.  209.  —Chippendale  Settee,  1765-1770. 


outline  of  the  back  are  Hke  early  Chippendale  pieces. 
A  distinction  was  made  between  the  "sopha"  and  the 
settee,  the  sofa  being  a  long  seat  with  the  back  and 
arms  entirely  upholstered,  like  the  sofa  in  Illustra- 
tion 208. 

Illustration  209  shows  a  Chippendale  settee  with 
beautifully   carved   cabriole   legs,   owned   by  Harry 


222 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Harkness  Flagler,  Esq.  The  three  front  legs  are 
carved  with  the  scroll  foot  turned  to  the  front.  This 
foot  was  called  the  French  foot  by  the  cabinet-makers 
of  that  period,  about  1765-1770. 

Illustration  210  shows  a  double  chair,  also  owned 
by  Mr.   Flagler.     It  has   characteristics  of  various 


Illus.  210.  — Double  Chair,  1760. 


nationalities  and  styles,  mainly  Chippendale. 
The  back  consists  of  two  chair  backs,  wider  than 
arm-chair  backs,  which  is  almost  always  true  of  the 
double  chair.  The  corners  of  the  seat,  and  the  ends 
of  the  top  rails  are  rounding  after  the  Dutch  style, 


Settles,  Settees,  and  Sofas  223 

but  the  splats  are  Chippendale.  The  three  front 
legs  end  in  a  small  claw-and-ball,  and  the  knees  are 
carved.  The  most  noticeable  feature  of  this  grace- 
ful piece  is  the  rococo  design  at  the  top  of  the  back 
and  upon  the  front  of  the  seat. 

Illustration  211  shows  a  Chippendale  double  chair 
and  one  of  four  arm-chairs,  formerly  owned  by  Gov- 
ernor John  Wentworth,  whose  household  goods  were 
confiscated  and  sold  at  auction  by  the  Federal  gov- 
ernment, in  1776.  Since  that  time  these  pieces  have 
been  in  the  Alexander  Ladd  house  at  Portsmouth, 
New  Hampshire,  where  they  now  stand.  They  are 
a  perfect  exemplification  of  Chippendale's  furniture 
in  the  Chinese  style,  and  are  probably  the  finest  ex- 
amples of  that  style  in  this  country.  They  are  of 
mahogany,  with  cane  seats.  The  design  of  the  backs 
is  more  elaborate  than  any  of  the  Chinese  designs  for 
furniture  of  either  Chippendale,  Manwaring,  Ince,  or 
Mayhew;  an  unusual  thing,  for  a  majority  of  the 
designs  in  the  old  cabinet-makers'  books  are  far  more 
elaborate  than  the  furniture  which  has  come  down  to 
us.  Chippendale  says  that  these  "Chinese  chairs  are 
very  suitable  for  a  lady's  boudoir,  and  will  likewise 
suit  a  Chinese  temple."  One  wonders  if  Gover- 
nor Wentworth  had  a  Chinese  temple  for  these 
beautiful  pieces  of  furniture.  He  had,  we  know, 
splendid  gardens,  which  were  famous  in  those  days, 
and  possibly  a  Chinese  temple  may  have  been 
one  of  the  adornments,  with  these  chairs  for  its 
furniture. 

Illustration  212  shows  a  double  chair,  which  is  well 
known  from  representations  of  it  in  various  books. 


Settles,   Settees,   and   Sofas 


225 


It  is  one  of  the  finest  examples  existing  of  the  Chip- 
pendale period,  and  was  undoubtedly,  like  the  double 
chair  in  Illustration  211,  made  in  England.  The  carv- 
ing upon  the  three  front  legs  is  unusually  good.  The 
feet  are  carved  with  lions'  claws,  and  the  knees  with 
grotesque  faces,  while  the  arms  end  in  dragons'  heads. 


Illus.  212.  — Chippendale  Double  Chair,   1750-1760, 


The  corners  of  the  back  are  finished  with  a  scroll, 
turning  to  the  back.  The  wood  of  this  double  chair 
is  walnut,  and  it  is  covered  in  gray  horsehair.  This 
chair  formerly  belonged  to  John  Hancock,  and  was 
presented  to  the  American  Antiquarian  Society  in 
1838,  with  other  pieces  bought  from  the  Hancock 
house,  by  John  Chandler,  of  Petersham,  Massachu- 
setts. 

Q 


226 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


The  little  settee  in  Illustration  213  is  owned  by- 
Albert  S.  Rines,  Esq.,  of  Portland,  Maine.  It  was 
evidently  made  from  the  same  design  as  a  long  settee 
in  the  Pendleton  collection  in  Providence,  which 
has  the  same  Chippendale  carvings  on  the  back  at 
the  centre  and  ends,  and  the  same  effect  of  the  leg 


Illus.  213.  —  Chippendale  Settee,    1770. 


being  continued  up  into  the  frame  of  the  seat.     This 
settee  has  the  middle  leg  unevenly  placed. 

The  settee  in  Illustration  214  is  entirely  unlike 
any  shown.  It  is  French,  of  the  time  of  Louis  the 
Sixteenth,  and  with  the  six  chairs  like  it,  was  part 
of  the  cargo  upon  the  ship  Sally,  which  sailed 
from  France  in  1792,  and  landed  at  Wiscasset,  Maine, 
with  a  load  of  fine  furniture  and  rich  belongings 
intended   to   furnish   a   home   of  refuge   for   Marie 


Settles,  Settees,  and  Sofas 


227 


Antoinette,  who  did  not  live  to  sail  upon  the  Sally. 
The  sideboard  in  Illustration  75  has  the  same  his- 
tory and  it  can  be  traced  directly  to  the  Sally, 
The  settee  and  chairs  came  from  Bath,  Maine,  where 
there  are  also  other  chairs  from  the  Sally,  which 
are,  however,  like  the  sideboard,  English  in  style. 


Illus.  214.  — French  Settee,  1790 


The  settee  is  of  solid  rosewood,  with  the  short  legs 
of  the  Louis  XVI  period,  and  a  very  deep  seat.  The 
wood  of  the  back  is  elaborately  carved  in  a  design 
distinctly  French,  of  roses,  with  a  bow  of  ribbon  in 
the  centre.  The  settee  and  chairs  are  now  owned  by 
Mrs.  William  J.  Hogg,  of  Worcester. 


228 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


A  double  chair  owned  by  Francis  H.  BIgelow,  Esq., 
is  shown  In  Illustration  215.  The  back  is  made  of 
two  Hepplewhite  chair-backs,  which  combine  the  out- 
line of  the  shield  back  and  the  middle  of  the  inter- 
laced heart  back  shown  in  the  chair  In  Illustration  189. 


Illus.  215.  —  Hepplewhite  Settee,  1790. 


The  three  front  legs  are  inlaid  with  fine  lines  and 
^the  bell  flower,  and  the  backs  are  very  finely  in- 
laid, with  lines  In  the  urn-shaped  piece  in  the  cen- 
tre, and  a  fan  above,  while  a  fine  line  of  holly  runs 
around  the  edge  of  each  piece.  The  stretchers  be- 
tween the  legs  are  a  very  unusual  feature  in  such 
settees. 


Settles,  Settees,  and  Sofas 


229 


Illustration  216  shows  a  Sheraton  settee,  now  in 
Girard  College,  Philadelphia.  It  was  a  part  of  the 
furniture  belonging  to  Stephen  Girard,  the  founder 
of  that  college.  It  has  eight  legs,  the  four  in  front 
being  the  typical  reeded  Sheraton  legs.  The  back 
has  five  posts  dividing  it  into  four  chair-backs.  The 
seat  is  upholstered. 

The  Sheraton  sofa  in  Illustration  217  was  prob- 
ably   made    in    England    about    1 790-1 800.     It    is 


Illus.  216.  — Sheraton  Settee,   1790-1795. 


owned  by  Francis  H.  Bigelow,  Esq.,  of  Cambridge. 
The  frame  is  of  mahogany,  and  the  rail  at  the  top 
of  the  back  is  exquisitely  carved  with  festoons  and 
flowers.  The  front  of  the  seat  is  slightly  rounding 
at  the  ends,  and  the  arm,  which  is  carved  upon  the 
upper  side,  extends  beyond  the  upholstered  frame, 
and  rests  upon  a  pillar  which  continues  up  from 
the  corner  leg.  This  style  of  arm  is  quite  char- 
acteristic  of   Sheraton.     The   legs   of   the   sofa   are 


230 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Illus.  217.— Sheraton  Sofa,   1790-1800. 

plainly  turned,  not  reeded,  as  is  usual  upon  Sheraton 
sofas. 

The  sofa  in  Illustration  218  is  a  typical  Sheraton 
piece,  of  a  style  which  must  have  been  very  fash- 
ionable about  1800,  for  such  sofas  are  often  found 
in  this  country.     The  frame  is  of  mahogany,  with 


Illus.  218.  —  Sheraton  Sofa,  about    1800. 


Settles,  Settees,  and  Sofas  231 

pieces  of  satlnwood  inlaid  at  the  top  of  the  end  legs. 
The  arms  are  like  the  arms  of  the  sofa  in  Illustra- 
tion 217,  and  they,  the  pillars  supporting  them,  and 
the  four  front  legs  are  all  reeded.  This  sofa  is  owned 
by  W.  S.  G.  Kennedy,  Esq.,  of  Worcester. 

Illustration  219  shows  a  Sheraton  settee  which 
came  from  the  Flint  mansion  in  Leicester,  Mas- 
sachusetts, and  is  now  owned  by  the  writer.     It  has 


Illus.  219. — Sheraton  Settee,  about  1805. 

a  rush  seat,  and  the  frame  was  originally  painted 
black,  with  gilt  flowers.  It  is  very  long,  settees  of 
this  style  usually  equalling  three  chairs,  while  this 
equals  four.  It  measures  seventy-six  inches  in  length, 
and  from  front  to  back  the  seat  measures  seventeen 
inches.  It  makes  an  admirable  hall  settee,  and  seems 
to  be  substantial,  although  extremely  light  in  effect. 
Another  settee  is  shown  in  Illustration  220,  with 
a  cane  seat,  and  painted  in  the  "japanning"  of  the 
period  in  black  with  gold  figures.  It  is  owned  by 
Mrs.  Clarence  R.  Hyde,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


232 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


An  Empire  settee  of  graceful  shape,  owned  by  Bar- 
ton Myers,  Esq.,  of  Norfolk,  Virginia,  is  shown  in 


Illus.  220.  — Sheraton  Settee,  about  1805. 

Illustration  221.     The  lines  of  the  many  curves  are 
all  unusually  good.     The  wood  of  the  settee  is  mahog- 


Illus.  221.  —  Empire  Settee,  about  1805. 

any,  and  the  seat  is  rush.     The  ornaments  upon  the 
front  and  the  rosettes  at  the  tip  of  each  curve  are  brass.- 


Settles,  Settees,  and  Sofas 


233 


In  1816  there  was  launched  In  Salem  the  yacht 
called  Cleopatra's  Barge,  built  and  owned  by  Capt. 
George  Crowninshield,  who  had  been  a  partner  with 
his  brothers  in  the  East  India  trade  and  had  lived 
from  a  boy  upon  his  father's  ships.  Finally  retiring 
from  business,  he  built  this  splendid  yacht  with 
the  intention  of  spending  years  in  travel,  but  he 
died  after  the  first  long  voyage  to  the  Mediterranean. 
The  yacht  was  the  wonder  of  the  day  and  was  visited 


«Riiisiiiii! 


llllus.  222.  —  Empire  Settee,  1816. 

by  thousands,  not  alone  in  Salem  but  in  every 
foreign  port.  She  was  furnished  with  great  magnifi- 
cence, in  the  Empire  style,  the  woods  used  In  the 
saloon  being  mahogany  and  bird's-eye  maple,  and  the 
two  settees  in  the  saloon  were  each  eleven  feet  in 
length.  One  is  shown  In  Illustration  222,  now  owned 
by  Frederic  B.  Crowninshield,  Esq.,  of  Marblehead. 
The  backs  are  lyre-shaped,  and  when  new  the  seats 
were  covered  with  crimson  velvet  and  edged  with 
wide  gold  lace.  The  hook  upon  the  back  leg  was 
probably  to  hold  the  settee  to  the  wall  in  bad  weather. 
Illustration  223  shows  the  Influence  of  the  fashion 
for  heavier  and  more  elaborate  frames,  which  came 


234  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

in  with  the  nineteenth  century.  The  arms  are  made 
after  the  Sheraton  type  shown  in  Illustration  217  and 
Illustration  218,  but  where  a  simple  pillar  was  em- 
ployed before,  this  settee  has  a  carved  pineapple 
forming  the  support  to  the  arm,  which  ends  in  a 
scroll.  Instead  of  four  front  legs  either  plain  or  fluted, 
there  are  two  of  larger  size  carved  with  the  same 
leaves  which  sheathe  the  pineapple.  The  covering 
is  horsehair,  which  was  probably  the  original  cover. 


This  settee  now  belongs  to  the  Concord  Antiquarian 
Society,  and  was  owned  by  Dr.  Ezra  Ripley,  who 
was  minister  of  the  old  Congregational  Church 
of  Concord  from  1777  to  1840,  and  who  lived  In 
the  Old  Manse,  afterward  occupied  by  Hawthorne. 
The  settee  remained  in  the  manse  until  comparatively 
recent  years. 

The  sofa  in  Illustration  224  belongs  to  the  Misses 
Hosmer  of  Concord,  and  stands  in  their  old  house, 
filled  with  the  furniture  of  generations  past,  and 
interesting  with  memories  of  the  Concord  philoso- 
phers.    The  lines  of  this  sofa  are  extremely  elegant 


Settles,  Settees,  and  Sofas  235 

and  graceful,  and  Its  effect  quite  classic.  The  legs 
are  what  is  known  as  the  Adam  leg,  which  was 
designed  by  the  Adam  brothers,  and  which  Sheraton 
used  frequently.  The  style  of  the  sofa  is  that  of  the 
Adam  brothers,  and  it  was  probably  made  from  their 
designs  about  1800-18 10.  The  writer  has  seen  a  win- 
dow seat  which  belonged  to  Charles  Carroll  of  Car- 
rollton,  after  exactly  this  design,  without  the  back. 


lllus.  225.— Sofa  in  Adam  Style,   1800-1810. 


The  back  of  the  sofa  in  Illustration  225  follows 
the  same  graceful  curves  as  the  one  in  Illustration 
224.  This  sofa  was  found  by  the  writer  in  the 
shed  of  a  farmhouse,  on  top  of  a  woodpile,  which 
made  it  evident  what  its  fate  would  be  eventually, 
a  fate  which  has  robbed  us  of  many  a  fine  piece  of 
old  furniture.  After  climbing  upon  a  chair,  then  a 
table,  the  sight  of  these  carved  feet  protruding  from 
the  woodpile  was  almost  enough  to  make  the  an- 
tique hunter  lose  her  insecure  footing ;  but  with  the 
duplicity  learned  in  years  of  collecting,  all  emotion 
was  concealed  until  the  sofa  had  been  secured.  The 
writer  knows  of  four  sofas,  all  found  near  Worcester, 


Settles,   Settees,   and  Sofas 


237 


measuring  the  same,  seven  feet  In  length,  and  with 
the  same  carving  of  oak  leaves  upon  the  legs  and 
ends,  but  this  is  the  only  one  of  the  four  which  has 
the  carved  oak  leaves  across  the  front  of  the  seat, 
and  the  rows  of  Incised  carving  upon  the  back  rail. 
The  sofa  was  covered  with  black  haircloth,  woven 
in  an  elaborate  design,  and  around  the  edge  of  the 
covering  ran  the  brass  beading  which  may  be  seen 


Illus.  226.  —  Sofa,  about   1820. 


in  the  illustration.  This  beading  Is  three-eighths  of 
an  inch  wide,  and  Is  of  pressed  brass,  filled  with  lead, 
so  that  it  is  pliable  and  may  be  bent  to  go  around  a 
curve.  Such  beading  or  trimming  was  used  in  the 
place  of  brass-headed  tacks  or  nails,  and  is  found 
upon  chairs  and  sofas  of  about  this  date,  1815-1820. 
Illustration  226  shows  one  of  a  pair  of  sofas  with- 
out backs.  The  frame  is  of  mahogany  with  legs 
and  arms  carved  rather  coarsely.  The  covering  is 
of   stiff   old    brocade,    probably   the   original   cover 


238 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


when  these  sofas  were  made,  about  1820,  for  the 
Warner  house  in  Portsmouth,  where  they  still  stand. 
The  panelling  of  the  old  room,  built  in  17 16,  shows 
behind  the  sofa,  and  on  the  floor  is  the  Brussels 
carpet  upon  which  is  a  stain  from  wine  spilt  by 
Lafayette,  when  he  visited  the  house  in  1824. 

The  sofa  in  Illustration  227,  known  as  a  cornu- 
copia sofa,  from  the  design  of  the  carving,  shows 
the  most  ornate  type  of  this  style.  The  frame  is 
of  mahogany,  and  the  ends  of  the  arms  are  carved 


Illus.  227.  —  Cornucopia  Sofa,  about  1820. 

in  large  horns  of  plenty,  the  same  design  being  re- 
peated in  the  carving  of  the  top  rail  of  the  back 
and  in  the  legs,  which  end  in  a  lion's  claw.  The 
round  hard  pillows,  called  "squabs,"  at  each  end, 
were  always  provided  for  sofas  of  this  shape,  to  fit 
into  the  hollow  made  by  the  curves  of  the  cornuco- 
pia. This  sofa  Is  owned  by  Dr.  Charles  Schoeffer 
of  Philadelphia. 

Illustration  228  shows  a  sofa  and  miniature  sofa 
made  about  1820  for  William  T.  Lane,  Esq.,  of  Bos- 
ton, and  now  owned  by  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Thomas 


Settles,  Settees,  and  Sofas 


239 


H.   Gage  of  Worcester.     Mr.   Lane  had  two  little 
daughters,   and   for   them   he   had   two   little   sofas 


Illus.  228. — Sofa  and  Miniature  Sofa,  about   1820. 

made,  that  they  might  sit  one  each  side  of  the  large 
sofa.     This  fashion  of  making  miniature  pieces  of 


Illus.  229.— Sofa,  about  1820. 

furniture  like  the  larger  ones  was  much  in  vogue 
during  the  first  quarter  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

A  sofa  of  similar  lines  is  shown  in  Illustration 
229.  The  back  and  legs  are  different,  and  reeding 
takes  the  place  of  the  twist  in  Illustration  228. 


240 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


The  sofa  and  chair  in  Illustration  230  are  part  of  a 
set  of  furniture  bought  by  the  father  and  mother  of 
the  late  Major  Ben  :  Perley  Poore,  for  their  house  at 
Indian  Hill,  about  1840.  These  pieces  are  inter- 
esting not  only  for  the  design  of  the  mahogany 
frames,  carved  with  swans'  necks  and  heads,  but  for 
the  covering,  which  is  of  colored  haircloth,  woven 
in  a  large  figure  in  red  and  blue  upon  a  gray 
ground.     The  seat  of  the  sofa  is  worn  and  has  a 


Illus.  230.  — Sofa  and  Chair,  about  1840. 


rug  spread  upon  it,  but  the  back  and  pillows  and 
the  chair-seat  are  perfect. 

From  1844  to  1848  a  cabinet-maker  named  John 
H.  Belter  had  a  shop  in  New  York,  where  he  man- 
ufactured furniture,  chiefly  from  rosewood.  The 
backs  of  the  chairs  and  sofas  were  deeply  curved, 
and  in  order  to  obtain  the  strength  necessary,  thin 
pieces  of  rosewood  were  pressed  into  the  desired 
curve,  and  the  several  thicknesses  glued  together, 


Settles,  Settees,  and  Sofas 


241 


and  pressed  again.  The  strong  back  made  in  this 
way  was  then  elaborately  carved,  in  an  openwork 
pattern  of  vines  and  leaves.  The  sofas  of  these  sets 
were  usually  in  the  shape  shown  in  Illustration  231, 


Illus.  231.  — Rosewood  Sofa,   1844-1848, 


which  belongs  to  Mrs.  M.  Newman  of  New  York. 
Many  of  the  wealthy  families  of  New  York  had  this 
Belter  furniture,  which  was  always  covered  with  a 
rich  silk  brocade.  It  is  eagerly  sought  for  now  and 
brings  large  prices. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

TABLES 


r 


'HE  earliest  form  of 
table  in  use  in  this 
country  was  invento- 
ried in  1642  as  a  "table 
bord,"  and  the  name  occurs  in 
English  inventories  one  hundred 
years  earlier.  The  name  "board" 
was  given  quite  literally  from 
the  table  top,  which  was  a  board 
made  separately  from  the  sup- 
porting trestles,  and  which,  after 
a  meal,  was  taken  oif  the  trestles, 
and  both  board  and  trestles  were 
put  away,  thus  leaving  the  room 
free.  These  tables  were  long 
and  narrow,  and  had  in  earliest  times  a  long  bench 
or  form  at  one  side  only,  the  other  side  of  the  board 
being  left  free  for  serving.  In  the  Bolles  collection 
is  a  veritable  "borde"  rescued  from  the  attic  of  a  de- 
serted house,  where  it  had  stood  for  scores  of  years. 
The  board  is  about  twelve  feet  long  and  two  feet 
one  inch  wide,  and  bears  the  mark  of  many  a  knife. 
It  rests  upon  three  rude  trestles,  presenting  a  won- 
derfully interesting  example  of  the  "table  borde" 

242 


Tables 


243 


of  the  sixteenth  and  early  seventeenth  centuries,  and 
one  which  is  extremely  rare. 

It  will  be  easily  seen  how  the  expression  "the 
festive  board"  originated.  Presently  it  became  the 
custom  to  leave 
the  board  upon  its 
trestles,  instead 
of  removing  both, 
and  in  time  the 
piece  was  called 
a  table,  which 
name  covered 
both  board  and 
trestles.  Some 
of  the  different 
forms  of  the  table 
mentioned  in  in- 
ventories are 
framed  and  joined 
tables,  chair  ta- 
bles, long  tables, 
drawing-tables, 
square,  oval,  and 
round  tables. 
The  framed  and 
joined  tables  refer 
to  the  frame  beneath  the  board.  The  other  tables 
derive  their  names  from  the  shape  or  construction 
of  the  tops.  A  drawing-table  was  one  made  with 
extension  pieces  at  each  end,  supported  when  out 
by  wooden  braces,  and  folding  back  under  or  over 
the  table  top  when  not  in  use. 


Illus.  232.  — Chair  Table,  Eighteenth  Century. 


244 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


A  chair  table  is  shown  in  Illustration  232.  The 
table  top  is  put  back  in  the  illustration,  so  that  the 
piece  can  be  pushed  against  the  wall  and  used  as  a 
chair.  Chair  tables  always  had  the  drawer  beneath 
the  seat.     They  are  inventoried   as  early  as   1644. 


Illus.  233.  — Oak  Table,   1650-1675. 


This  chair  table  belongs  to  Dwight  Blaney,  Esq.,  of 
Boston. 

The  framed  or  joined  table  had  turned  legs,  with 
stretchers  between,  and  a  drawer  under  the  table  top. 
Illustration  233  shows  an  oak  table  formerly  owned 
in  the  Coffin  family,  and  now  in  the  building  of  the 
Newburyport  Historical  Society.  The  table  is  a 
good  example  of  the  framed  or  joined  table  early  in 


Tables  245 

the  seventeenth  century.  The  legs  and  stretchers 
are  of  the  same  style  as  those  upon  wainscot  chairs, 
which  belong  to  the 
same  period  as  the 
table. 

Illustration  234 
shows  a  table  with 
slate  top,  owned  by 
the  American  Anti- 
quarian Society  of 
Worcester.  The  slate 
top    originally    filled 

the   eight-sided    space    iiius.234.  — Slate-top  Table,  1670-1680. 

in  the  centre  of    the 

table,  but  only  the  middle  section  is  now  left.     Be- 
side the  piece  of  slate  is  a  paper  written  by  the  late 

John  Preston  of 
New  Ipswich,  New 
Hampshire,  in 
1847,  when  he 
gave  the  table  to 
the  Antiquarian 
Society,  detailing 
the  history  of  the 
table  from  the  time 
it  was  given  to  his 
ancestor,  the  Rev. 
Nehemiah  Walter, 

Illus.235.-"ButterTy  Table,"  about  1700.   J^"     graduated 

irom      Harvard 

University  in  1682.     The  table  was  used  by  genera- 
tion after  generation  of  ministers  and  lawyers,  whose 


246  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

ink-stains  cover  the  marquetry  border  around  the 
top,  and  whose  feet  have  worn  the  stretchers.  Slate- 
top  tables  are  very  rare,  and  there  are  but  few  known 
to  exist.  The  turned  legs  and  stretchers  and  the 
drawer  in   the  table   are  features  which   appear  in 


Illus.  236.  — "Hundred-legged  Table,"   1675-1700. 

tables  of  the  same  date  with  wooden  tops.  There 
is  one  drop  handle  left  upon  the  drawer,  the  frame 
around  which  has  the  early  single  moulding. 

Illustration  235  shows  a  curious  little  table,  several 
of  which  have  been  found  in  Connecticut,  and  which 
were  probably  made  there.  It  has  the  turned  legs, 
with  plain  stretchers,  of  the  tables  in  Illustration  233. 
The  oval  top  has  drop  leaves  which  are  held  up  by 


248  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

wing-shaped  braces,  from  which  comes  the  modern 
name  for  this  table,  of  "butterfly  table." 

The  table  in  Illustration  236  is  an  unusually 
fine  example  of  what  is  now  called  a  "hundred- 
legged"  or  "  forty-legged "  table,  evidently  from 
the  bewildering  number  of  legs  beneath  it,  which 
are  wofuUy  in  the  way  of   the  legs  of   the  persons 

seated  around 
it.  This  table 
is  made  of  oak, 
with  twisted 
legs,  and  meas- 
ures four  feet  by 
five  and  a  half. 
The  supporting 
legs,  when  not 
in  use,  swing 
around  under  the 
middle  leaf.  The 
table  is  owned  by 

lUus.  238.  — Gate-legged  Table,   1680-1700.      Dwight    Blaney, 

Esq. 

Illustration  237  shows  a  superb  walnut  dining- 
table,  now  in  the  rooms  of  the  Albany  Historical 
Society.  It  measures  six  and  a  half  feet  by  six  feet. 
It  belonged  to  Sir  William  Johnson  and  when  con- 
fiscated in  1776  from  that  Royalist,  it  was  bought 
by  Hon.  John  Taylor,  whose  descendants  loan  it  to 
the  Society.  These  tables  are  also  called  "  gate- 
legged," from  the  leg  which  swings  under  the  leaf, 
like  a  gate. 

Illustration  238  shows  a  very  small,  and  very  rare 


Tables 


249 


gate-legged  table  with  trestle  feet  upon  the  middle 
section,  enabling  it  to  stand  firmly  with  the  leaves 
dropped.     It  belongs  to  Dwight  M.  Prouty,  Esq. 

Illustration  239  shows  a  spindle-legged,  gate-legged 
table,  a  type  exceedingly  rare  like  all  spindle-legged 
furniture.     The  slender  legs  have  Dutch  feet.     This 

dainty  table 
has  descended 
to  Mrs.  Ed- 
ward W.  Rankin  of 
Albany,  from  Kath- 
erine  Livingstone, 
who  brought  it  with 
her  when  she  came 
to  Albany  in  1764, 
as  the  bride  of 
Stephen  Van  Rens- 
selaer, the  Patroon. 
It  must  then  have 
been  an  inherited 
piece. 

Illustration  240 
shows  a  forty-legged 
table,  such  as  is  not 
uncommonly  found.  It  measures  four  feet  in  length. 
The  large  Sheffield  plate  tray  on  feet  was  made  in 
the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century,  when  trays 
of  various  sizes  upon  feet  were  fashionable.  The 
tea-set  upon  the  tray  is  one  made  about  1835,  and 
is  extremely  graceful  in  shape.  The  table  and  silver 
are  owned  by  the  writer. 
The  little  Dutch  table  in  Illustration  241  has  the 


Illus.  239.  —  Spindle-legged  Table, 
1710-1720. 


250  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

next  style  of  leg  used  upon  tables,  which  were  made 
in  all  sizes,  and  were  presumably  very  popular,  for 
such  tables  are  often  found.     One  leg  slides  around  on 


Illus.  240. —  "  Hundred-legged  Table,"   1680-1700. 

each  side  to  support  the  leaves.  This  table  was  made 
about  1740,  and  belongs  to  Francis  H.  Bigelow,  Esq. 
The  same  Dutch  leg  is  seen  in  Illustration  242 
upon  a  dainty  little  mahogany  card-table,  with  slides 
at  each  end  to  hold  the  candlesticks.  This  table 
belongs  to  Miss  Tilton  of  Newburyport. 


Tables  251 

Illustration  243  shows  a  mahogany  table  with  claw- 
and-ball  feet  owned  by  the  writer.  The  top  meas- 
ures four  feet  four 
inches  across,  and  its 
date  is  about  1750. 
The  double  coaster 
upon  wheels,  filled 
with  violets,  was  made 
to  hold  decanters  of 
wine,  and  one  can 
imagine  these  wheels 
rattling  down  the  ma- 
hogany table  as  the 
evening  grew  late  and 
the  decanters  empty.       iiius.  241.  — Dutch  Table,  1720-1740. 

As     early     as     1676 
stands  are  spoken  of  in  inventories,  and  during  the 
eighteenth  century  they  were  a  common  article  of 

furniture.  The  tops 
were  square,  oval,  or 
round,  and  the  base 
consisted  of  a  pillar 
with  three  spreading 
feet.  Illustration  244 
shows  the  early  foot 
used  for  these  stands, 
about  1740.  This 
table     is     owned     by 

Illus.  242.  — Dutch  Card-table,   1730-    Miss    Mary    Coates    of 

^^^0-  Philadelphia,   and   the 

silver  pieces  upon  it  are  heirlooms  in  her  family. 
These  stands  came  to  be  known  as  "Dutch  Tea- 


252 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Tables,"  and  the  bases  were  often  elaborately  carved. 
The  tops  of  the  handsomest  tables  were  carved  out 
of  a  thick  piece  of  wood,  so  as  to  leave  a  rim,  to 
keep  the  china  from  sliding  off.  This  carved  rim  was 
in  different  forms,  the  finest  being  what  is  now  called 


Illus.  243.  —  Claw-and-ball-foot  Table,  about  1750. 


"pie-crust,"  with  an  ogee  scallop.  The  plain  rim 
is  now  known  as  the  "dish-top."  Illustration  245 
shows  a  pie-crust  table  owned  by  Dwight  Blaney,  Esq. 
Illustration  246  shows  a  dish-top  table  be- 
longing to  Francis  H.  Bigelow,  Esq.  Both  tables 
have  claw-and-ball  feet,  and  they  are  made,  like  all 
of  the  Dutch  tea-tables,  with  the  top  revolving  upon 


Tables 


253 


the    pillar.     When    not    in    use    the    top    could    be 
"tipped,"  and  the  table  put  back  against  the  wall; 

and  when  the  top  was  to  be 

used,  it  fastened  down  with  a 

snap. 

Illustration  247  shows  two 

of  the  finest  type  of  tea-tables. 

They    are    owned    by    Harry 


Illus.  244.  — Dutch  Stand, 
about  1740. 

Harkness    Flagler, 

Esq.      One    has    the 

pie-crust     edge,     and 

the  other  a  scalloped 

edge.     The  pillars  of 

both  are  reeded,  and 

the   legs    are   carved. 

A     great      difference 

can  be  noted  between 

these  two  bases,  in  the  sweep  of  the  spreading  legs, 

and  in  the  claw-and-ball  feet,  which  are  especially 

fine  upon  the  pie-crust  table.     The  proportions  of 


Illus.  245. —  "  Pie-crust  Table,"   1750. 


254 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


this  table  are  unusually  good,  the  central  pillar  being 
slender,  and  the  finely  carved  legs  having  a  spread 
which  gives  a  very 
graceful  and  light 
effect. 

Illustration  248 
shows  another  fine 
table  and  chair  owned 
by  Mr.  Flagler.  The 
chair  is  described  upon 
page  183.  The  table 
has  an  oval  top,  carved, 


Illus.  246.  — "Dish-top  Table,"  1750. 


Illus.  247.  — Tea-tables.   1750-1760. 


not  in  a  regular  scallop,  but  in  rococo  scrolls.     It  has 
a  heavier  pillar  than  the  pie-crust  table  in  the  last 


»^^^^^ 


256  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

illustration,  and 
the  legs  have  a 
smaller   spread. 

A  tripod  table 
with  a  remarkable 
top  is  shown  in 
Illustration  249. 
It  belongs  to  J.  J. 
Gilbert,  Esq.,  of 
Baltimore.  The 
rim  is  carved  and 


lilus.  249.  — Tripod 
Table,   1760-1770. 

pierced  like  the  ma- 
hogany trays  of  the 
time. 

Illustration  250 
shows  a  Chinese 
fretwork  table 
owned  by  Harry 
Harkness  Flagler, 
Esq.  Such  tables 
were  designed  by 
Ince  and  Mayhew 
and  Chippendale, 
and  were  called 
show     tables,     the 


Illus.  250. 


Chinese  Fret-work  Table, 
1760-1770. 


Tables  257 

pierced  gallery  serving  to  keep  small  curios  on  the 
table  from  falling  off.  Both  of  these  tables  were 
used  as  tea-tables,  the  raised  rims  protecting  the 
tea-cups,  more  precious  then  than  now. 

Stands  were  made  in  different  sizes,  one  being 
intended  for  a  "light-stand"  to  hold  the  candlestick, 
and  the  smallest  for  a  tea-kettle  stand,  to  accompany 
the  tea-table.  Illustration  251  shows  three  sizes  of 
stands,  all  smaller  than  those  illustrated  previously, 
and  giving  somewhat  the  effect  of  the  three  bears  of 
the  nursery  tale.  The  middle  stand,  which  has  a 
dish-top,  has  a  base  which  is  exquisitely  carved.  The 
tiny  kettle-stand  is  only  eighteen  and  one-half  inches 
high.     These  three  stands  also  belong  to  Mr.  Flagler. 

Illustration  252  shows  a  small  tea-table  belonging 
to  Mrs.  C.  M.  Dyer  of  Worcester.  A  star  is  inlaid 
upon  the  top,  the  edge  of  which  has  a  row  of 'fine 
inlaying.  The  base  has  three  fanlike  carvings 
where  the  legs  join  the  pillar. 

The  exquisite  Chippendale  card-table  shown  in 
Illustration  253  is  not  only  beautiful  in  itself,  but  it 
frames  what  is  a  monument  to  the  industry  of  the 
frail  young  girls  who  embroidered  the  top,  and  to  the 
good  housekeeping  of  its  owners  for  one  hundred  and 
twenty  odd  years.  The  colors  in  this  embroidery 
are  as  brilliant  as  when  new,  and  never  a  moth  has 
been  suffered  to  even  sniff  at  its  stitches,  which  are 
the  smallest  I  have  ever  seen.  The  work  is  done 
upon  very  fine  linen,  and  each  thread  is  covered  with 
a  stitch  of  embroidery,  done  with  the  slenderest 
possible  strands  of  crewel,  in  designs  of  playing- 
cards,   and   of  round   and   fish-shaped   counters,   in 


258 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Illus.  251.  — stands,   1760-1770. 

mother-of-pearl    shades,    copied    from    the    original 
pearl  counters,  which  still  lie  in  the  little  oval  pools 

hollowed  out  for  them 
in  the  mahogany  frame. 
The  fashionable  game 
at  that  date  was  qua- 
drille, which  was  played 
with  these  round  and 
fish-shaped  counters. 

Dr.  William  Samuel 
Johnson,  the  first 
president  of  Columbia 
University,  had  four 
daughters,  all  of  whom 
died  in  early  youth, 
from  comsumption. 
This  embroidery  was 
wrought  by  them,  one 
Illus.  252.  — Tea-table,  about  1770.       taking  the  task  as  the 


Tables 


259 


other  gave  it  up  with  her  life.  The  same  young 
girls  embroidered  the  screen  in  Illustration  328. 
Small   wonder   they   died    young !     Far   better   the 


Illus.  253.  —  Chippendale  Card-table,  about 


golf  and  tennis  which  would  occupy  the  daughters 
of  a  modern  college  president,  if  he  were  so  fortunate 
as  to  have  four. 

The  frame  of  this  table  is  very  beautiful,  though 


26o 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


it  is  cast  in  the  shade  by  the  extraordinary  needle- 
work.    It   is    after   the   finest   Chippendale   design, 


Illus.  254.  —  Chippendale  Card-table,  about  1765. 


and  of  the  best  workmanship.  The  wood  is  ma- 
hogany, and  the  table  is  owned  by  Mrs.  Johnson- 
Hudson  of  Stratford,  Connecticut. 

A  Chippendale  card-table,  owned  by  the  writer, 
is  shown  in  Illustration  254.  The  mahogany  top 
is  shaped  in  deep  curves,  with  square  corners  and 
is  an  inch  thick  to  allow  the  depth  of  the  pools 
for  counters.     The  lower  edge  of  the  table  is  gad- 


Tables 


261 


rooned,   and   the  two  front  legs   are  finely  carved. 
The  two  back  legs,  which  are  stationary,  are  carved 


Illus.  255.  —  Chippendale  Card-table,  about  1765. 


on  the  front  side  only,  while  the  fifth  leg,  which 
swings  under  the  leaf  to  hold  it  up,  is  plain,  with  simply 
the  claw-and-ball  foot. 

Illustration     255     shows     another     Chippendale 
table  with  a  baize-covered   top.     It   has  the  pools 


262 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


JH^HH|^^HHH|^BB    for  the 

^^^^^^^^^^^^H^^^B   corners  top  are 

^^^^^^^B^^^^H^^^y   shaped  square 

I  V      ^^^j         I        pieces    to    stand    the 

II  HI  candlesticks  upon. 
I  I  11  The  knees  of  the 
I^^^^M^gwl^  I  cabriole  legs  are  finely 
■^^"^■^^^^B^^^^J  carved,  and  the  edge 
"                         ^^         I        of  the  front  is  finished 

I  with    gadrooning.     It 

r.     u  T  ^  ,.,  will    be   noticed    that 

Illus.  256.  —  Pembroke  Table,  i  •  i  , 

1760-1770.  there  is  a  leg  at  each 

corner  with  the  table 
open ;  in  closing,  two  legs  turn  in  accordion  fashion, 
and  a  leg  is  still  at  each  corner  of  the  closed  table, 
with  the  top  half  the  size.  This  card-table  is  owned 
by  Harry  Hark- 
ness  Flagler, 
Esq.,  of  Mill- 
brook,  N.  Y. 

A  style  of 
table  popular 
during  the  eigh- 
teenth century 
was  called  a 
Pembroke  table, 
according  to 
Sheraton,  from 
the  name  of  the 
lady  who  first 
ordered  one,  and 

who       probably       Illus.  257.  —  Pembroke  Table,   1780-1790. 


Tables 


263 


table  the  name  of 


gave  the  idea  to  the  workman.  Illustration  256 
shows  a  Pembroke  table  in  the  Chippendale  style, 
with  rather  unusual  stretchers  between  the  legs. 
The  characteristic  which  gives  a 
Pembroke  consists  in  the  drop 
leaves,  which  are  held  up,  when 
the  table  is  open,  by  brackets 
which  turn  under  the  top.  The 
shape  of  -the  top  varies,  being 
square,  round,  oval,  or  with  leaves 
shaped  like  the  table  in  the  illus- 
tration. They  are  always  small, 
and  were  designed  for  breakfast 
tables.  This  table  belongs  to  the 
Concord  Antiquarian  Society. 

A  beautiful  Pembroke  table 
owned  by  the  Metropolitan  Mu- 
seum of  Art  is  shown  in  Illustra- 
tion 257.  It  is  made  of  mahog- 
any entirely  veneered  with  curly 
sycamore,  with  a  band  of  tulip 
wood  around  the  top  and  leaves, 
which  are  exquisitely  inlaid  in 
a  circular  design,  and  upon  the 
legs  are  lines  of  ht)lly  with  an 
oval  inlay  at  the  top. 

Illustration  258  shows  a  set  or 


Illus.  258.  —  Lacquer  Tea- 
tables,  Eighteenth  Cen- 
tury. 

nest"  of  Chinese 


tea  tables  owned  by  Dwight  M.  Prouty,  Esq.  They 
and  the  tea  caddy  case  are  lacquered  in  black  with 
Chinese  scenes  in  gold.  These  sets  of  tables  were 
brought  by  ships  in  the  Chinese  trade,  and  were 
fashionable  among  the  tea  drinkers  of  early  times. 


264 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


From  about  1786  the  designs  of  Shearer,  Hepple- 
white,  and  Sheraton  entirely  superseded  the  fashions 
of  the  fifty  years  preceding,  and  the  slender  tapering 
leg  took  the  place  of  the  cabriole  leg.  Illustration 
259  shows  a  Hepplewhite  card-table,  of  about  1789, 
with  inlaid  legs,  one  of  which  swings  around  to  sup- 
port half  of  the  top, 
"—^    .  which  is  circular  when 

open.  Upon  this 
table  is  a  mahogany 
tea  tray  with  handles 
at  each  side  and  a 
raised  rim  with  a 
scalloped  edge  to 
keep  the  cups  and 
saucers  from  slipping 
oif.  Oval  trays  of 
this  style  are  not 
uncommon,  of  ma- 
hogany with  inlay- 
ing, but  this  tray  is 
shaped  to  fit  the 
table  top.  This  table 
and  tray  are  owned 
by  the  Concord  An- 
china    upon    the    tray    is 


lUus.  259.  — Hepplewhite  Card-table 
with  Tea-tray,    1785-1790. 


tiquarian    Society.     The 
Lowestoft,   so  called. 

Illustration  260  shows  two  typical  Hepplewhite 
card-tables  owned  by  the  writer.  They  are  of  ma- 
hogany, the  square,  tapering  legs  being  inlaid  with 
a  fine  line  of  holly.  The  front  of  one  table  has 
an  oval  inlay  of  lighter  mahogany,  and  small  oval 


266 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


lUus.  261.  — Sheraton  Card- 
table,  1800. 


pieces  above  each  leg.     The  edge  of  this  table  is 
inlaid  with  lines  of  holly.     The  front  of  the  other 

table  is  veneered  with 
curly  maple,  and  has 
a  panel  in  the  centre 
inlaid  with  an  urn 
in  colored  woods. 
There  is  a  row  of 
fine  inlaying  in  holly 
and  ebony  upon  the 
edge  of  the  top.  This 
table  was  rescued  by 
the  writer  from  an 
Ignominious  exist- 
ence in  a  kitchen,  where  it  was  covered  with  oilcloth 
and  used  for  kitchen  purposes.  The  leaf  of  each 
of  these  tables  is 
supported  by  one 
of  the  legs,  which 
swings  around. 

Illustration  261 
shows  a  Sheraton 
card-table  of  the 
best  style,  with 
reeded  legs  and 
the  front  veneered 
in  satinwood.  It 
is  owned  by  Irv- 
ing Bigelow,  Esq., 
of  Worcester. 

The  Sheraton  card-table  in  Illustration  262  is  of  a 
few  years  later  date  than  the  one  in  Illustration  261, 


Illus.  262.  —  Sheraton  Card-table, 
1800-1810. 


Tables 


267 


with  slightly  heavier  legs,  reeded  and  carved.  The 
curves  of  the  front  of  the  table  are  extremely  grace- 
ful. It  belongs  to  Dwight 
Blaney,  Esq. 

Illustration  263  shows  a 
Sheraton  stand,  called  a 
"what-not,"  m-ade  of  ma- 
hogany, with  reeded  legs. 
The  posts  above  the  legs 
are  veneered  in  bird's-eye 
maple,  and  the  two  drawers 
are  veneered  in  satinwood. 
The  handles*  are  of  bone 
or  ivory.  The  effect  of 
this  little  stand  is  most  airy 
and  light.  It  belongs  to 
Mr.  Blaney. 

Illustration   264  shows  a 
mahogany  dining-table  and 
one  of   eight   chairs   which 
came    from   the   John   Hancock   house   in    Boston. 
They  are  now  owned  by  Clinton  M.  Dyer,  Esq.,  of 


Ulus.  263.  — Sheraton  "What- 
not,"  1800-1810. 


Illus.  264.  —  Sheraton  Dining-table  and  Chair,  about  1810. 


268 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Illus.  265. 
Work-table, 


—  Sheraton 
about  1800. 


Worcester.  They  were  made 
probably  about  i8io.  The  legs 
of  the  table  end  in  the  Adam  foot. 
The  table  which  has  both  leaves 
dropped  shows  the  position  of  the 
legs  when  the  table  is  not  in  use ; 
each  leg  swings  around  to  support 
the  leaves  when  in  use.  The 
table  with  slightly  rounded  cor- 
ners can  be  taken  apart,  and  the 
extra  table  put  between  the  two 
sections,  the  leaves  being  fastened 
together  by  a  curious  brass  spring. 
Each  leaf  measures  five  and  one- 
half  feet  in  length.  The  drop 
leaves  are  twenty-six  inches  wide, 
and  the  table,  when  all  the  top  is 
spread 


five  and 
a  half  by  twelve  feet. 

The  chair  is  made 
after  the  style  of  the 
late  Sheraton  chairs,  with 
carved  drapery  upon  the 
back. 

Illustration  265  shows 
a  circular  work-table 
of  very  graceful  design. 
The  wood  is  mahogany, 
and  the  little  feet  are  of 
bronze.  There  are  three 
drawers,  the   two  upper 


lllus.  266.  —  Sheraton  Work-table 
1810-1815. 


Tables 


269 


ones  opening  with  a  spring  and  revolving  upon  a 
pivot.  In  these  little  drawers  may  still  be  seen  the 
beads  remaining  from  the  time,  about  1800,  when 
it  was  fashionable  for  young  ladies  to  make  bead 
bags.  The  table  top  has  an  opening  in  the  centre, 
which  originally  had  a  wooden  cover,  and  the  space 
below  the  top  was  utilized  to  hold  the  work.     At 


Illus.  267.  — Maple  and  Mahogany  Work-tables,  1810-1820. 


the  back  of  the  top  are  two  short  turned  posts  sup- 
porting a  little  shelf,  to  hold  a  candlestick,  or  to 
have  fastened  upon  its  edge  the  silver  bird  which 
was  used  by  needlewomen  of  those  days  to  hold 
one  end  of  the  work.  This  little  table  is  owned  by 
the  Misses  Hosmer  of  Concord. 

Illustration    266    shows    a    Sheraton    work-table, 
owned  by  Mrs.  Samuel  B.  Woodward  of  Worcester. 


270 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Illus.  268.  — Work-tatle,  1810. 


out,  which  had  originally 
hang  below  the  table. 

Illustration  267  shows 
two  work-tables  of  ma- 
hogany and  bird's-eye 
maple  belonging  to  Francis 
H.  Bigelow,  Esq.  Similar 
tables  were  common  about 
I 8 10-1820. 

Illustrations  268  and 
269  show  two  work-tables 
owned  by  Dwight  M. 
Prouty,  Esq.  The  legs 
and  frame  of  the  upper 
table  are  of  mahogany, 
the  box  being  made  of 
pine    and     covered     with 


The  carving  at  the  top  of 
the  reeded  legs  is  very  fine, 
and  the  little  table  is  quite 
dainty  enough  to  serve  the 
purpose  for  which  it  was 
bought,  —  a  wedding  gift 
to  a  bride.  The  brass  fix- 
tures for  the  casters  are 
unusually  good,  but  the 
handles  are  not  original. 
The  top  drawer  contains  a 
sort  of  writing  desk,  besides 
compartments  for  sewing 
materials,  and  at  the  side 
of  the  table  a  slide  pulls 
a  silk   bag  attached,  to 


Illus.  269.— Work-table, 
1810. 


Tables 


271 


pleated  silk.     The   lower  table  is  more  elegant  In 

shape,  with  a   slide,   the  front  of  which  simulates 

a  drawer,  and  to  this  is  attached  the  work  bag  or 

box,  in  this   table  made  of  wood,  silk-covered,  but 
sometimes  made  of  silk  alone. 


lllus.  270.  —  Hepplewhite  Dining-table,   1790. 

Illustration  270  shows  a  Hepplewhite  dining 
table,  the  drop  leaf  serving  to  increase  the  length 
of  the  table,  when  raised  and  held  up  by  the  extra 
leg,  which  swings  under  it.  Up  to  1800  the 
dining-table  had  been  made  in  various  styles, 
in  all  of  which  the  table  legs  were  more  or 
less   in   the   way  of   those   around   the   table.     In 


272  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

the  "hundred-legged"  table  there  seemed  to  be 
a  table  leg  for  each  person.  Then  came  the  cabriole 
leg,  also  in  the  way,  and  finally  the  Hepplewhite 
dining-table,  which  was  made  in  sections,  with 
rounded  ends,  and  four  legs  on  each  end. 

About  1800  the  pillar-and-claw  table  was  invented, 
which  made  it  possible  for  several  persons  to  sit 
around  a  dining-table  without  a  part  of  the  guests 
encircling   the    table   legs   with    their   own.     These 


.    Illus.  271.  — Pillar-and-claw  Dining-table,   1800. 

tables  were  made  in  pairs  or  in  threes,  one  after 
another  being  added  as  more  room  was  required. 
Illustration  271  shows  a  pillar-and-claw  exten- 
sion dining-table,  of  mahogany,  owned  by  L.  J. 
Shapiro,  Esq.  of  Norfolk,  Virginia.  The  telescope 
extension  (the  same  method  in  use  at  present)  was 
invented  by  Richard  Gillow,  of  London,  about  1800. 
The  end  tables  pull  apart  upon  a  slide,  and  extra 
leaves  may  be  inserted  between  the  ends,  held  in 
place  by  wooden  pins. 


Tables  273 

The  pillar  and  claw  design  was  most  popular  and 
was  used  for  centre  tables,  bases  of  piano  stools, 
and  even  for  piano  legs  (see  Illustration  292).  A 
pillar-and-claw  mahogany  centre  table  with  drop 
leaves  is  shown  in  Illustration  272.  The  feet  are 
lion's  claws,  and  from  this  date  the  lion's  or  bear's 


lUus.  272.  — Pillar-and-claw  Dining-table,  about  1800. 

claw  foot  was  used  for  furniture  with  carved  feet, 
instead  of  the  bird's  claw-and-ball  which  had  been 
so  largely  used  during  the  previous  century. 

A  splendid  dining-table  of  mahogany  is  shown 
in  Illustration  273.  It  is  in  three  sections,  each 
with  a  base.  The  legs  have  a  bold  spread,  and  are 
simply  carved  in  grooves,  ending  in  lion's  claws. 
This  fine  table  is  owned  by  Barton  Myers,  Esq.,  of 
Norfolk,  Virginia. 

Illustration  274  shows  a  mahogany  dining-table 


274  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

now  in  the  Worcester  Art  Museum,  inherited  from 
the  late  Stephen   Salisbury,   Esq.     The  method  of 


Illus.  273. —  Extension  Dining-table,    1810. 


'■^    Illus.  274.  —  Accordion  Extension  Table,    1820. 


extension  is  after  that  of  an  accordion,  and  necessi- 
tates an  astonishing  number  of  legs  when  not  ex- 


Tables 


275 


tended,  ten  in  all. 
When  the  leaves 
are  all  in  use  the 
table  is  fourteen 
feet  long,  and  stands 
very  firmly,  the 
leaves  being  held 
together  by  a  brass 
clamp,  seen  in  the 
illustration. 

A  very  fine  card 
table  owned  by  Mrs. 

Clarence  R.  Hyde  of         Illus.  275.  — Card-table,   1805-1810.     • 

Brooklyn   is   shown 

in  Illustration  275.     It  is  made  of  mahogany,  with 

a  band  of  satinwood  around  the  box  top.     When 

open,  the  whole  top  revolves  upon  a  pivot.     The 

legs  are  slender  and  well  carved,  with  lion's  feet. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^       One  of  the  finest  of 

PmHH^^^^^^B^^HV  American     cabinet- 

m^Smmm  ^^   makers    was    Duncan 

^^H  Phyfe,  whose  address 

^^^^  in  the  New  York  di- 

^^^^B^  rectory  of  1802  is  35 

Jj^^^l^  Partition   Street  (now 

^^^^^^^  Fulton    Street).      He 

P^^^  ^t^  pursued    his    business 

^^^  ^^^fe      until     1850,     employ- 

Jr  ^^      ing  one  hundred  work- 

Illus.  276. -Phyfe  Card-table,  "len.         Much     of     his 

1810-1820.  furniture    still    exists, 

notably  chairs  with  lyre  backs. 


276  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

A  Phyfe  card-table  owned  by  Miss  H.  P.  F.  Burn- 
side  of  Worcester  is  shown  in  Illustration  276. 
The  strings  of  the  lyre  are  of  brass,  like  the  lion's 
feet  in  which  the  legs  end. 


Illus.  277.  — Phyfe  Card-table,   1810-1820. 

A  specialty  of  Phyfe's  was  a  card-table,  one  of 
which  is  shown  in  Illustration  277.  In  the  illustration 
the  table  apparently  lacks  a  fourth  leg,  as  it  stands 
against  the  wall.  But  when  the  top  is  open,  by  an 
interesting  mechanism  the  three  legs  spread  and  a 


Tables 


277 


brace  comes  out  to  support  the  other  half  of  the  top, 
so  that  it  forms  a  perfectly  proportioned  table.  Mr. 
Hagen  of  New  York  has  an  old  bill,  dated  18 16,  for 


278.  —  Phyfe  Sofa  Table 


two  of  these  tables  at  sixty  dollars  apiece.  The  table 
in  the  illustration  is  owned  by  Dwight  Blaney,  Esq. 
A  Phyfe  sofa  table  is  shown  in  Illustration  278, 
from  the  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art.  It  is  very 
narrow,  and  was  designed,  as  the  name  implies,  to 
stand  beside  a  sofa,  to  hold  books,  papers,  or  other 


278 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


articles.  The  legs  end  in  small  lion's  feet  and  are 
carved,  like  the  posts,  with  the  typical  Phyfe  leaf. 
This  leaf,  so  much  used  by  Phyfe,  is  seen,  like  the  lyre, 
upon  Adam  pieces,  and  apparently  the  Scotchman, 


Illus.  279.  — Pier-table.   1820-1830. 


Duncan  Phyfe,  took  the  Scotchman,  Robert  Adam, 
for  his  model. 

The  fashion  of  heavy  furniture  elaborately  carved 
was  more  popular  in  the  South  than  in  the  North, 
and  the  most  ornate  pieces  are  found  in  the  South, 


Tables 


279 


of  later  date  than  the  rich  carving  done  in  Phil- 
adelphia, upon  pie-crust  tables  and  high-boys. 
Heavy  posts  carved  with  the  acanthus  and  pineapple 
and  other  Empire  features  found  favor.  It  is  prob- 
able that  during  the  first  quar- 
ter of  the  nineteenth  century 
the  wealthy  Southern  planters 
refurnished  their  homes  in  the 
prevailing  Empire  style.  The 
pier-table  in  Illustration  279  is 
one  of  a  pair  found  in  Virginia, 
which  were  made  about  1830. 
The  chief  motif  in  the  design 
seems  to  be  dolphins'  heads, 
which  form  the  feet,  and  the 
base  of  the  front  supports  to 
the  top. 

Illustration  280  shows  a  small 
work-table  of  curious  shape, 
with  the  octagon-shaped  inte- 
rior divided  into  little  boxes 
for  sewing-materials.  The  mid- 
dle compartment  extends  down 
into  the  eight-sided  pillar.  The 
work-boxes  are  covered  by  the 
top  of  the  table,  which  lifts  upon  hinges.  This  table 
belongs  to  Mrs.  E.  A.  Morse  of  Worcester. 


Illus.  280.  — Work-table, 
1810-1820. 


CHAPTER  IX 


MUSICAL    INSTRUMENTS 


S 


PINETS,  virginals,  and 
harpsichords  were 
brought  to  the  Ameri- 
can colonies  in  English 
ships  as  early  as  1645,  when 
"An  old  pair  of  virginalls" 
appears  in  an  inventory ;  and 
another,  in  1654.  In  1667  a 
pair  of  virginals  is  valued  at 
two  pounds.  In  his  diary  of 
1699  Judge  Samuel  Sewall 
alludes  to  his  wife's  virginals. 
In  171 2  the  Boston  News 
Letter  contained  an  advertise- 
ment that  '^the  spinet  would 
be  taught,"  and  in  1716  the 
public  were  requested  to 
Note,  that  any  Persons  may  have  all  Instruments 
of  Music  mended,  or  Virginals  or  Spinets  strung  & 
tun'd,  at  a  Reasonable  Rate,  and  likewise  may  be 
taught  to  play  on  any  of  the  Instruments  above 
mentioned."  From  the  wording  of  this  advertise- 
ment it  is^vi^ent  that  these  instruments  were  no 
noveltyT 

280 


Musical  Instruments  281 

I  have  not  been  able  to  learn  of  an  existing  vir- 
ginal which  was  in  use  in  this  country,  but  occa- 
sionally a  spinet  is  found.  The  expression  a  "pair" 
or  "set"  of  virginals  was  used  in  the  same  manner 
as  a  "pair"  or  "set"  of  steps  or  stairs,  and  in  Eng- 
land an  oblong  spinet  was  called  a  virginal,  in  dis- 
tinction from  the  spinet  of  triangular  shape,  which 
superseded  the  rectangular,  oblong  form  in  which 
the  earliest  spinets  were  made.  Both  virginal  and 
spinet  had  but  one  string  to  a  key,  and  the  tone 
of  both  was  produced  by  a  sort  of  plectrum  which 
picked  the  string.  This  plectrum  usually  consisted 
of  a  crow  quill,  set  in  an  upright  piece  of  wood, 
called  a  "jack,"  which  was  fastened  to  the  back  of 
the  key.  The  depressing  of  the  key  by  the  finger 
caused  the  quill  to  rise,  and  as  it  passed  the  string, 
the  vibration  produced  the  musical  tone,  which  is 
described  by  Dr.  Burney  as  "A  scratch  with  a  sound 
at  the  end  of  it."  The  name  of  the  spinet  is  by 
some  supposed  to  be  derived  from  these  quills,  — 
from  spina,  a  thorn.  According  to  other  authorities 
the  name  came  from  a  maker  of  the  instrument, 
named  Spinetti.  The  virginal  was  so  called  because 
young  maids  were  wont  to  play  upon  it,  among  them 
that  perennial  young  girl,  Queen  Elizabeth.  The 
most  famous  makers  of  spinets  In  England  were 
Charles  Haward  or  Haywood,  Thomas  and  John 
Hitchcock,  and  Stephen  Keene.  In  Pepys's  diary 
are  the  following  entries  :  — 

"April  4,  1668.  Called  upon  one  Haward  that  makes  vir- 
ginalls,  and  there  did  like  of  a  Httle  espinette  and  will  have  him 
finish  it  for  me;  for  I  had  a  mind  to  a  small  harpsichon,  but  this 
takes  up  less  room." 


282  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

"July  15,  1668.     At  noon  is  brought  home  the  espinette  I 
bought  the  other  day  of  Haward ;   cost  me  5£." 

Illustration  281  shows  a  spinet  in  the  Deerfield 
Museum,  which  formerly  belonged  to  Miss  Sukey 
Barker  of  Hingham,  who  must  have  been  a  much 
envied  damsel.  It  is  marked  Stephanus  Keene, 
which  places  the  date  of  its  make  about  1690.     The 


lUus.  281.  — Stephen  Keene  Spinet,  about  1690. 

body  of  the  spinet  stands  twenty-four  inches  from 
the  floor.  Its  extreme  length  is  fifty-six  inches, 
and  the  keyboard  of  four  and  one-half  octaves 
measures  twenty-nine  inches.  There  are  but  six 
keys  left,  but  they  are  enough  to  show  that  the 
naturals  were  black  and  the  sharps  white.  There 
is  a  row  of  fine  inlaying  above  the  keyboard,  and 
the  maker's  name  is  surrounded  with  painted  flowers. 
The  spinet,  as  may  be  seen,  was  a  tiny  instrument, 


Musical  Instruments  283 

in  shape  similar  to  our  modern  grand  piano.  The 
body  of  the  spinet  was  entirely  separate  from  the 
stand,  which  was  made  with  stretchers  between  the 
legs,  of  which  there  were  three  and  sometimes  four, 
so  placed  that  one  leg  came  under  the  narrow  back 
end  of  the  spinet,  one  under  the  right  end  of  the 
front,  and  one  or  sometimes  two  at  the  left  of  the 
front.  The  instrument  rested  upon  this  table  or 
trestle. 

The  name  upon  the  majority  of  spinets  found 
in  this  country  is  that  of  Thomas  Hitchcock.  His 
spinets  are  numbered  and  occasionally  dated.  There 
is  a  Thomas  Hitchcock  spinet  owned  by  the  Con- 
cord Antiquarian  Society,  numbered  1455,  and  one 
owned  in  Worcester,  numbered  15 19. 

Illustration  282  shows  a  spinet  which  was  owned 
by  Elizabeth  Hunt  Wendell  of  Boston.  It  was 
probably  an  old  instrument  when  she  took  it  with 
her  from  Boston  to  Portland  in  1766  upon  her 
marriage  to  the  Rev.  Thomas  Smith,  known  as 
Parson  Smith  of  Portland.  It  is  now  owned  by 
her  great-great-grandaughter  in  Gorham,  Maine. 
The  board  above  the  keys  has  two  lines  of  inlaying 
around  it,  and  is  marked  "Thomas  Hitchcock 
Londoni  fecit,  1390."  The  front  of  the  white  keys 
is  cut  with  curved  lines,  and  the  black  keys  have  a 
line  of  white  ivory  down  the  centre.  The  parrot- 
back  chair  in  the  illustration  is  described  upon 
page  168.  Authorities  seem  to  vary  upon  dates 
when  the  Hitchcocks  made  spinets.  Mr.  A.  J. 
Hipkins  of  London,  the  well-known  authority  upon 
pianos,  harpsichords,  and  spinets,  writes  me  that  he 


284  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

dates  the  Thomas  Hitchcock  spinets  from  1664  to 
1703,  and  those  of  John  Hitchcock,  the  son  of 
Thomas,  from  1676  to  about  171 5.  Mr.  Hipkins 
says  that  the  highest  number  he  has  met  with  upon 
Thomas  Hitchcock's  spinets  is  1547,  so  it  is  safe  to 
date  this  spinet  in  Illustration  282,  which  numbers 
1390,  to  about  1690. 


Illus.  282.  — Thomas  Hitchcock  Spinet,  about  1690. 

By  the  latter  half  of  the  eighteenth  century  pro- 
ficiency upon  various  musical  instruments  was  not 
uncommon.  John  Adams  in  1771  speaks  of  a 
young  man  of  twenty-six,  as  "a  great  proficient  in 
music,  plays  upon  the  flute,  fife,  harpsichord,  spinet, 
etc. ;  a  very  fine  Connecticut  young  gentleman." 
In  1768  in  the  Boston  Chronicle  appears  the  advertise- 


Illus.  283.  —  Broadwood  Harpsichord,    1789. 


286  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

ment  of  John  Harris,  recently  from  England,  "that 
he  makes  and  sells  all  sorts  of  Harpsichords  and 
Spinets,"  and  in  1769  the  Boston  Gazette  says,  "A 
few  days  since  was  shipped  for  Newport  a  very 
curious  Spinet,  being  the  first  one  ever  made  in 
America,  the  performance  of  the  ingenious  Mr. 
John  Harris."  In  1770  the  same  paper  praises  an 
excellent  "spinet"  made  by  a  Bostonian,  "which 
for  goodness  of  workmanship  and  harmony  of  sound 
is  esteemed  by  the  best  judges  to  be  superior  to  any 
that  has  been  imported  from  Europe."  This  would 
seem  to  indicate  that  a  tone  of  superiority  in  musical 
matters  was  assumed  by  Boston  at  an  early  date. 
The  statement  with  regard  to  the  first  spinet  made 
in  America  is  incorrect,  for  over  twenty  years 
earlier,  in  1742,  Hasselinck  had  made  spinets  in 
Philadelphia. 

In  the  Essex  Institute  of  Salem  is  a  spinet  made 
by  Samuel  Blythe  of  Salem,  the  bill  for  which,  dated 
1786,  amounts  to  eighteen  pounds. 

The  harpsichord,  so  named  from  its  shape,  was 
the  most  important  of  the  group  of  contemporary 
instruments,  the  virginal,  spinet,  and  harpsichord, 
the  tone  of  which  was  produced  with  the  quill  and 
jack.  The  harpsichord  had  two  strings  to  each 
key,  and  the  instrument  occupied  the  relative  posi- 
tion that  the  grand  piano  does  to-day,  being  much 
larger  and  having  more  tone  than  the  spinet.  Like 
the  spinet,  its  manufacture  ceased  with  the  eighteenth 
century.  Illustration  283  shows  a  harpsichord 
formerly  owned  by  Charles  Carroll,  who  was  so 
eager  to  identify  himself  as  a  patriot,  that  he  signed 


Musical  Instruments  287 

his  name  to  the  Declaration  of  Independence  as 
Charles  Carroll  of  Carrollton.  This  harpsichord 
was  discovered  twenty-five  years  ago  in  the  loft  of 
an  old  college  building  in  Annapolis,  where  it  had 
lain  for  fifty  years.  The  Carroll  coat  of  arms,  painted 
upon  porcelain  and  framed  in  gold,  is  fastened  above 
the  keyboard.  The  inscription  upon  this  instru- 
ment is  "Burkat  Shudi  et  Johannes  Broadwood, 
patent  No.  955  Londini,  Fecerant  1789,  Great 
Poulteney   Street,   Golden   Square." 

There  are  two  banks  of  keys,  with  a  range  of  five 
octaves,  and  three  stops,  which  were  intended  to 
change  the  tone,  two  of  them  being  marked  harp 
and  lute.  The  case  is  quite  plain,  of  mahogany, 
with  a  few  lines  of  inlaying  above  the  keyboard  and 
a  line  around  the  body  and  top.  It  is  owned  by 
William  Knabe  &  Co.  of  Baltimore,  and  is  one  of 
fourteen   Broadwood  harpsichords   known  to  exist. 

That  the  harpsichord  was  not  an  uncommon  in- 
strument in  this  country  during  the  latter  half  of 
the  eighteenth  century  is  shown  by  the  number  of 
advertisements  of  the  harpsichord  and  its  teachers. 

Illustration  284  shows  a  clavichord  or  clavier, 
made  about  1745.  It  is  owned  by  Mr.  John  Orth 
of  Boston.  The  clavichord,  like  its  successor,  the 
square  piano,  was  of  oblong  shape.  The  musical 
tone  was  produced  in  a  different  manner  from  that 
of  either  the  spinet  or  piano.  Each  key  had  at  the 
back  an  upright  "tangent"  or  wedge-shaped  piece 
of  brass,  which,  as  the  front  of  the  key  was  de- 
pressed, rose  and  set  the  string  of  twisted  brass 
wire  in  vibration,  by  pressing  upon  it,  instead  of 


288  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

picking  it  like  the  quill  of  the  spinet  and  harpsi- 
chord. This  pressure  divided  the  string  into  two 
diiferent  lengths,  the  shorter  length  being  prevented 
from  vibrating  by  a  band  of  cloth  interlaced  with 
the  strings.  The  same  interlaced  cloth  stopped  the 
vibration  of  the  longer  division  of  the  string,  as  soon 
as  the  pressure  was  taken  from  the  key,  thus  allow- 
ing the  tangent  to  fall.     In  the  earlier  clavichords 


Illus.  284.  — Clavichord.   1745.      W 

one  string  had  to  serve  to  produce  the  tone  for  two 
or  three  different  keys.  These  instruments  were 
called  ^'gebunden,"  or  fretted.  Later  instruments 
are  "bund  frei"  or  free,  having  a  string  for  each  key. 
The  clavichord  player  could  feel  the  elasticity  of  the 
wire  string,  and  could  produce  a  sort  of  vibration  of 
tone  by  employing  the  same  method  as  that  used  in 
playing  the  violin,  a  pressure  and  vibration  of  the 
fleshy  end  of  the  finger  while  the  note  was  held. 


Musical  Instruments  289 

The  tone  of  the  clavichord  was  very  delicate,  and  it 
afforded  far  more  power  of  expression  than  the 
spinet  or  harpsichord,  which,  however,  were  more 
brilliant,  and  entirely  superseded  the  weaker  clavi- 
chord in  England.  In  Germany  the  clavichord  has 
always  been  a  favorite  instrument,  even  into  the 
nineteenth  century.  It  is  probable  that  but  few 
clavichords  came  to  this  country. 

The  piano  e  forte  —  soft  and  loud  —  was  invented 
about  1720.  The  strings  of  the  piano  are  struck  by 
hammers  instead  of  being  picked  by  quills,  and  the 
force  of  the  hammer  strokes  made  a  stronger  frame 
necessary  than  that  of  the  spinet  or  harpsichord,  in 
order  to  hold  the  heavier  strings. 

Brissot  de  Warville  wrote  in  1788  that  in  Boston 
"one  sometimes  hears  the  forte  piano,  though  the 
art  is  in  its  infancy."  He  then  soulfully  bursts 
forth,  "God  grant  that  the  Bostonian  women  may 
never,  like  those  of  France,  acquire  the  malady  of 
perfection  in  this  art.  It  is  never  attained  but  at  the 
expense  of  the  domestic  virtues."  According  to  this 
the  domestic  virtues  must  be  a  scarce  quality  in 
Boston  at  the  present  time. 

In  1792  Messrs.  Dodd  &  Claus,  musical  instru- 
ment manufacturers,  66  Queen  Street,  New  York, 
announced  that  "the  forte  piano  is  become  so  fash- 
ionable in  Europe  that  few  polite  families  are  with- 
out it."  As  this  country  kept  pace  with  Europe  in 
the  fashions,  we  can  assume  that  the  forte  piano 
formed  at  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century  a  part 
of  the  furniture  of  the  polite  families  of  the  United 
States. 


290 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


The  date  of  a  piano  can  be  approximately  deter- 
mined by  its  legs.  The  earliest  pianos  had  four 
slender  legs  similar  to  the  legs  of  the  spinet  or  harp- 
sichord. The  next  instruments  had  six  legs,  in- 
creased in  size  and  fluted  or  carved.  Then-  the 
number  was  reduced  to  four,  and  the  legs  were  still 


lUus.  285.  —  Clementi  Piano,  1805. 


larger,  and  more  elaborately  carved,  until  by  1840 
the  ugly  legs  found  commonly  upon  the  square 
piano  were  the  only  styles  employed. 

Illustration  285  is  a  fine  example  of  an  early  piano- 
forte. Like  the  spinet  and  clavichord,  the  body 
of  the  instrument  is  separate  from  the  lower  frame, 
which  is  fastened  together  at  the  corners  with  large 
screws  like  a  bedstead.     This  may  have  been  for 


Musical  Instruments  291 

convenience  in  transportation,  and  it  is  possible  that 
while  the  top  containing  the  works  was  imported, 
the  supporting  frame  may  have  been  made  in  this 
country.  There  are  four  slender  inlaid  legs,  and  one 
pedal,  and  under  the  body  of  the  piano  runs  a  most 
convenient  shelf  for  music.  The  case  is  of  mahog- 
any, with  rows  of  fine  inlaying  in  colors,  having 
two  rows  of  different  width  around  the  top  of  the 
lid.  The  board  above  the  keys  is  of  satinwood,  and 
it  has,  beside  the  delicate  frets  at  each  side,  charmingly 
painted  garlands  of  sweet  peas,  a  flower  very  pop- 
ular in  England  at  that  time,  about  1805.  The 
name  plate  has  the  inscription  "Muzio  Clementi  & 
Co.,  Cheapside,  London,"  and  the  number  of  the 
piano  is  3653.  It  measures  sixty-seven  inches  in 
length,  and  has  a  compass  of  five  and  one-half  oc- 
taves. There  is  a  line  of  inlaying  around  the  inside 
of  this  piano,  which  is  finished  carefully  in  every 
detail.  The  music-rack  is  of  simple  form  like  the 
rack  in  Illustration  286.  The  music  may  also  rest, 
as  in  the  illustration,  upon  the  edge  of  the  lid,  when 
put  back.  This  piano  is  owned  by  the  writer,  who 
bought  it  in  Falmouth,  Massachusetts.  It  was  said 
to  be  the  first  piano  brought  into  Falmouth,  or  upon 
the  "Cape,"  and  in  looking  at  this  dainty  instrument, 
which  had  never  left  the  room  in  which  it  found  its 
home,  a  hundred  years  ago,  one  can  imagine  the 
wonder  and  envy  of  the  little  seaport  village  when  a 
whaling  captain,  after  a  successful  voyage,  gave  the 
piano  to  his  daughter.  Nothing  could  sound  more 
quaint  than  a  Gliick  or  Mozart  minuet  played  upon 
its  tinkling  keys. 


292  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

The  founder  of  the  Astor  family  about  1790  to 
1800  made  one  branch  of  his  business  the  import- 
ing of  pianos,  which  were  labelled  with  his  name 
and  which  are  quite  commonly  met  with.  Illus- 
tration 286  shows  an  Astor  piano  owned  by  Mrs. 
Sanford  Tappan  of  Newburyport.  The  style  of 
this  piano  is  similar  to  that  of  the  "Clementi"  in 


Illus.  286.  — Astor  Piano,   1790-1800. 

Illustration  285,  but  it  lacks  the  delicate  ornamenta- 
tion of  the  Clementi  piano.  In  the  Columbian  Centi- 
nel  of  1806  is  an  advertisement  with  a  woodcut  of  an 
instrument  very  like  this. 

There  is  an  Astor  piano  in  Salem,  described  as 
having  four  legs  in  the  front,  indicating  that  it  was 
made  as  late  as  181 5.  It  had  two  pedals,  one  being 
used  to  prolong  the  tones.     The  other  pedal  served 


Musical  Instruments 


293 


Illus.  287.  — Clementi  Piano,  about   1820. 


to  produce  a  novel  and  taking  effect,  by  lifting  a 
section  of  the  top  of  the  piano  lid,  which  was  then 
allowed  to  fall  suddenly,  the  slamming  serving  to 
imitate  the  firing  of  cannon.  The  young  lady  who 
owned  the  piano  created  a  great  sensation  by  playing 
battle  pieces  with  this  startling  accompaniment. 

Illustration  287  shows  the  change  in  the  legs,  this 
piano  having  six  legs,  which  are  considerably  larger. 
The  piano  was  made  by  Clementi,  and  is  numbered 
10522.  It  is  of  light  mahogany,  and  has  a  row  of 
dark  mahogany  veneer  around  its  frame.  The  feet 
and  tops  of  the  six  legs  are  of  brass,  like  the  handles 
to  the  three  drawers,  and  a  brass  moulding  goes 
around   the  frame.     The  piano  stool,   also  of  ma- 


294 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


hogany,  is  of  a  somewhat  later  date.  This  piano 
and  stool  are  owned  by  W.  S.  G.  Kennedy,  Esq., 
of  Worcester.  This  style  of  piano  was  in  use  from 
1820  to  1830. 


lUus.  288.  —  Combination  Piano,  Desk,  and  Toilet-table,  about  1800. 


Illustration  288  shows  one  of  the  curious  com- 
binations which  the  cabinet-makers  of  about  1800 
seemed  to  be  so  fond  of  designing.  Their  books 
have  complicated  drawings  of  tables  and  desks  with 
mechanical  devices  for  transforming  the  simple- 
looking  piece  of  furniture  into  one  full  of  compart- 


Musical  Instruments 


295 


ments,  drawers,  and  boxes,  with  contrivances  which 
allow  surprising  combinations  to  spring  out.  Shera- 
ton, who  was  a  shrewd  observer,  said,  "A  fanciful- 
ness  seems  most  peculiar  to  the  taste  of  females"; 
and  this  piece  of  furniture  was  made,  apparently,  to 
appeal  to  that  "fancifulness."     Between  the  works 


Illus.  289.  — Piano,  about  1830. 


of  the  piano  and  the  cover  is  a  tray  divided  Into 
compartments  to  hold  toilet  and  writing  utensils, 
ink-bottle,  sand-sifter,  stationery,  pins,  and  sewing- 
Implements,  and  over  the  keyboard  rests  a  long 
tray  for  similar  articles.  These  trays  can  be  re- 
moved when  the  piano  is  to  be  used.  There  is  a 
front  panel  which  lets  down,  forming  a  writing-table, 


Musical  Instruments  297 

and  a  mirror  is  set  in  the  face  of  the  rest  that  sup- 
ports the  lid  when  raised.  Thus  the  lady  for  whom 
all  this  was  designed,  after  using  it  as  a  dressing- 
table,  could  play  the  piano  and  look  at  her  own 
pretty  face  in  the  mirror  while  she  played  and  sang. 
This  combination  of  piano,  dressing-table,  and 
writing-desk  is  owned  by  the  Rev.  James  H.  Dar- 
lington, D.D.,  of  Brooklyn,  New  York. 

In  1829  the  manufacture  of  pianofortes  had  in- 
creased so  that  during  that  year  twenty-five  hundred 
pianos  were  made  in  the  United  States,  chiefly  in 
New  York,  Philadelphia,  and  Boston. 

The  piano  in  Illustration  289  belongs  to  Mrs.  Ada 
Grisler  of  Auburn,  Indiana,  and  Is  an  unusually  fine 
specimen  of  the  six-legged  piano  fashionable  about 
1830.  The  case  Is  of  mahogany  and  is  inlaid  with 
lines  of  brass,  while  around  the  body  run  two  rows, 
of  diiferent  width,  of  brass  moulding.  The  legs  are 
large,  and  elaborately  carved,  and  are  set  in  brass 
standards.  On  each  corner  of  the  frame  is  a  design 
in  gilt.  There  is  one  wooden  pedal,  and  the  range 
of  the  piano  is  five  and  one-half  octaves.  The  name 
of  the  maker  has  been  obliterated. 

The  piano  in  Illustration  290  Is  owned  by  Mrs. 
Louis  M.  Priest  of  Salem,  New  York.  The  body  is 
of  rosewood  inlaid  with  brass,  the  lid  being  of 
mahogany,  like  the  elaborately  carved  trestle-shaped 
supports.  It  has  two  drawers  for  holding  music, 
and  one  pedal,  the  standard  for  which  is  a  carved 
lyre  with  a  mirror  behind  its  strings.  The  key- 
board has  a  range  of  six  octaves.  The  name  upon 
the  front  is  Peter  Erben,  103  Pump  St.,  New  York. 


298 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Peter  Erben  was  a  music-teacher  whose  address  from 
1826  to  1827  was  103  Pump  Street,  which  deter- 
mines the  date  of  this  piano.  The  writer  knows 
of  four  pianos  with  the  carved  mahogany  trestle- 
supports,  all  with  the  name  of  Peter  Erben  as 
maker,  though  it  is  probable  that,  like  modern 
pianos,  the  works  were  bought,  and  whoever  wished 
might  have  his  name  upon  the  name-plate,  since 
Peter  Erben  is  in  the  New  York  directories  for 
thirty  years  as  "Musick  teacher"  or  "Professor  of 
musick"  only. 

The  piano-stool  in  Illustration  291  was  made  to 
use  with  the  piano  in  Illustration  290.     The  wide 

spread  to  the  three  feet 
gives  the  effect  of  a  table 
base,  but  there  is  no  doubt 
that  "this  was  made  origi- 
nally to  use  for  a  piano- 
stool.  The  little  weather- 
beaten  house,  in  which 
the  piano  and  stool  had 
always  stood,  possesses  a 
ghost  story  of  a  young  girl 
who  was  starved  to  death 
by  her  miser  brother, 
and  who  was  said  to 
haunt  the  house.  This 
piano  and  stool  give  the 
impression  of  the  reverse  of  a  miser,  and  the  poor 
ghost  must  have  been  before  their  day.  The  stool 
is  now  owned  by  the  writer,  but  is  neither  practical 
nor  comfortable,  the  feet  being  much  in  the  way. 


Ilius.  291.  —  Piano-stool, 
1820-1830. 


Musical  Instruments 


299 


Illustration  292  shows  a  piano  of  most  elaborate 
design,  made  about  1826.  There  is  no  maker's 
name  upon  the  piano.  The  frame  is  of  mahogany 
and  has  a  brass  moulding  around  the  body,  and 
brass  rosette  handles  to  the  drawers.     Around  each 


Illus.  292.  — Piano.   1826. 


square  carved  panel  upon  the  front  legs  is  a  brass 
beading,  and  the  lions'  claws  on  the  front  legs  and 
the  sockets  upon  the  back  legs  are  of  brass.  The 
front  legs  are  elaborately  carved  like  table  bases, 
and  the  three  pedals  have  a  support  that  is  a  cross 
between  a  lyre  and  a  wreath.  The  keyboard  has 
six  octaves,  and  the  music-rack  is  very  simple. 


300  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

Illustration  293  shows  two  piano-stools  made  be- 
tween 1825  and  1830.  The  stool  with  four  fluted 
legs  was  sold  with  a  piano  made  by  Wood,  Small, 
&  Co.,  of  London,  which  has  six  legs  fluted  in  the 
same  manner.  The  other  stool  has  a  base  like  the 
claw-and-pillar  table,  and  the  sides  of  the  seat  are 
carved  dolphins,  whose  tails  turn  up  and  support  a 


Illus.  293.  — Piano-stools,    1825-1830. 

carved  rail  to  form  a  low  back  for  the  seat.     This 
stool  belongs  to  the  writer. 

The  "table  piano"  in  Illustration  294  is  marked 
as  being  made  by  John  Charters,  Xenia,  Ohio, 
which  alone  would  attract  attention,  aside  from  the 
curious  construction  of  the  base,  which  places  the 
date  of  the  piano  about  1835.  The  pedals  are  quite 
xoncealed  as  one  stands  by  this  piano,  and  the  whole 


Musical  Instruments 


301 


design  is  clumsy  and  poor.  The  music-rack  seems 
to  have  remained  unchanged  for  many  years,  and 
from  the  earliest  piano  shown,  made  in  1800,  until 
the  large  square  piano  of  1840,  the  music-rack  is  the 
same,  simply  constructed  of  four  pieces  of  wood  which 
are  put  together  with  pivots,   so  that  by  pushing 


Illus.  294.— Table  Piano,  about  1835. 


one  end  of  the  top  piece  they  all  slide  and  fold  down 
together,  in  order  that  the  piano  may  be  closed. 

Illustration  295  shows  a  Chickering  piano  made  in 
1833,  of  a  design  entirely  different  from  the  other 
pianos  shown,  and  of  great  elegance  and  richness. 
The  mahogany  case  is  inlaid  with  the  heavy  bands  of 
plain  brass,  and  the  legs  are  pillars  with  Ionic  capitals. 


302 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


The  music-rack  is  of  the  same  simple  form  as  the 
one  upon  the  preceding  piano,  and  the  one  pedal  is 
fastened  into  a  lyre-shaped  support. 


Illus.  295.  — Chickering  Piano.   1833. 

Illustration  296  shows  a  music-stand  made  about 
1835,  owned  by  Mrs.  John  D.  Wing,  of  Millbrook, 
New  York.  The  rest  for  the  music  is  of  the  favor- 
ite lyre  shape,  which  seems  especially  adapted  to 
this  purpose.  The  stand  is  of  mahogany  and  -is 
very  pretty  and  graceful. 


Musical  Instruments 


303 


Illustration  297  shows  a  music-stand  owned  by 
Dwight  Blaney,  Esq.,  of  Boston.  It  is  of  mahogany, 
and  its  date  is  about  1835.  The  upper  part  with 
the  music-rest  can  be  lowered  or  raised,  and  is  held 
in  place  by  pins  thrust  through  the  small  holes  in 


Illus.  296.  — Music-stand, 
about  1835. 


Illus.  297.  —  Music-stand, 
about  1835. 


the  supports.     The  stand  is  somewhat  heavy  in  ef- 
fect, but  very  firm  and  secure. 

Illustration  298  shows  a  dulcimer  which  is  in  the 
Deerfield  Museum.  It  has  an  extremely  plain  case, 
and  must  have  been,  when  new,  an  inexpensive  in- 


304  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

strument.  The  dulcimer  of  early  times  was  a  small, 
triangular-shaped  instrument,  to  be  laid  upon  a  table. 
Above  the  sounding-board  were  stretched  wire  strings, 
which  were  struck  with  small  hammers  held  in  the 


Illus.  298.  —  Dulcimer,    1820-1830 


hand,  and  doubtless  the  piano  was  first  suggested  by 
the  dulcimer  and  its  hammers.  The  heads  of  the 
hammers  were  covered  with  hard  and  soft  leather  to 
give  a  loud  or  soft  tone.  The  instrument  in  the 
illustration  was  probably  made  from  1820  to  1830, 


Musical  Instruments 


305 


during  which  time  the  dulcimer  was  quite  popular, 
especially  in  the  country,  where  the  piano  was  too 
costly  a  luxury.  Music-books  were  published  for  the 
dulcimer,  and  it 
retained  some 
popularity  in 
country  vil- 
lages until 
ousted  by  the 
melodeon. 

Illustration 
299  shows  a 
set  of  musical 
glasses  called  a 
h  armonica. 
The  fine  ladies 
in  "The  Vicar 
of  Wakefield" 
would  talk  of 
nothing  but 
"pictures,  taste, 
Shakespeare, 
and  the  musi- 
cal glasses." 
This  was  in 
1761,  and  the 
musical  glasses 
were  fashionable  before  that,  for  Gliick  in  1746  played 
"a  concerto  on  twenty-six  drinking  glasses,  tuned 
with  spring  water."  Franklin  invented  an  instru- 
ment for  the  musical  glasses,  which  he  called  the 
Armonica,  for  which  famous  composers  wrote  music, 


Illus.  299.  —  Harmonica,  or  Musical  Glasses, 
about  1820. 


3o6 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


and  in  which  the  glasses  were  arranged  upon  a  rod 
which  turned  with  a  crank,  while  below  was  a  trough 
of  water  which  moistened  the  glasses  as  they  dipped 

into  it.  There  is  a  Franklin 
Armonica  in  the  Metropoli- 
tan Museum  of  Art  in  the 
Brown  collection.  In  Wat- 
son's "Annals"  is  a  descrip- 
tion of  a  visit  to  Franklin 
in  Paris.  It  says:  "He 
conducted  me  across  the 
room  to  an  instrument  of 
his  own  invention  which  he 
called  the  'Armonica.'  The 
music  was  produced  by  a 
peculiar  combination  of 
hemispherical  glasses.  He 
played  upon  it  and  per- 
formed some  Scotch  pas- 
torales with  great  effect. 
The  exhibition  was  truly 
striking." 

The  box  in  Illustration  299 
holds  twenty-four  glasses, 
which,  when  used,  are  filled 
with  water,  and  are  tuned  by 
the  amount  in  each  glass. 
The  finger  is  dipped  in  the 
water  and  rubbed  on  the  edge  of  the  glass,  produc- 
ing a  sound  of  penetrating  tone.  The  stand  and 
box  in  this  illustration  are  of  mahogany,  and  make 
an  ornamental  piece  of  furniture. 


Illus.  300.  — Music-stand. 
1805. 


Musical  Instruments 


307 


A  stand  for  music  is  shown  in  Illustration  300, 
owned  by  J.  J.  Gilbert,  Esq.,  of  Baltimore.  It  is 
elegant  in  design  and  possesses  also  the  very  de- 
sirable merit  in  a  rest  for  music,  of  standing  firmly 
upon    its    four    lion's    claw    feet,    with    the    heavy 


Illus.  301.  — Music-stand,   1800-1820. 

turned  and  reeded  post  to  support  the  top  and  the 
lyre-shaped  music  rack. 

The  mahogany  case  for  music  books  in  Illus- 
tration 301  is  owned  by  Dwight  M.  Prouty,  Esq.  It 
has  a  drawer  for  sheet  music  and   a  shelf  below, 


3o8 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


beside  the  five  compartments  for  books,  with  the 
lyre-shaped  divisions  of  solid  wood,  and  the  ends 
open,  with  lyre  strings  of  wood. 

Illustration  302  shows  a  harp-shaped  piano,  made 
by  Andre  Stein,  d'Augsburg.     It  is  owned  by  B.  J. 
Lang,  Esq.,  of  Boston,  and  was    made 
about    1800.      Pianos    of     this     style 
are  occasionally  found  in  this  coun- 
try.    The  shape  of  the  top   shows 
how   the    strings    run,    the    eifect 
being  similar  to  a  grand    piano 
stood  upon  its  end.     The  silk 
draperies  are  the  original  ones, 
and  are  faded  from  red  to  a 
soft  dead  leaf  color,  which 
is  most  artistic    and  har- 
monious.      The    six 
pedals  are  supposed 
to  produce  differ- 
ent effects  to  cor- 
respond with  the 
following   names  : 
fagotti,       piano, 
forte,   pianissimo, 
triangle,    cinelle. 

The  upright 
piano,  known 
then  as  a  cottage 


Illus.  302.  —  Harp-shaped  Piano,  about  1800. 


piano,     was      in- 


vented in  1800.  Illustration  303  shows  a  small 
upright  piano  said  to  have  belonged  to  Lady  Mor- 
gan, the  "wild  Irish  girl."     The  case  is  an  exquisite 


Musical  Instruments 


309 


example  of  the  work  of  an  English  cabinet-maker, 
from  1800  to  1 8 10,  and  may  have  been  that  of  Sher- 
aton himself.  The  lower  panels  are  of  satinwood, 
with  the  frame  and  the  oval  piece  in  the  centre  of 


Illus.  303.  — Cottage  Piano,  or  Upright,   1800-1810. 

mahogany,  outlined  with  ebony  and  white  holly. 
The  upper  middle  panel  is  filled  with  a  sunburst 
made  of  pleated  silk.  The  side-panels  are  of  satin- 
wood,  framed  in  bird's-eye  maple,  outlined  with 
mahogany,  and  the  ovals  in  the  centres  are  of  ma- 
hogany, with  fine  lines  of  ebony  and  white  holly. 


310 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Altogether,  it  is  as  dainty  an  instrument  as  any  lady 

could  wish  for  her  boudoir. 

Illustration  304  shows  a  Chickering  upright  piano 

made  in  1830.     The  frame  is  of  mahogany,  and  the 

front  of  the  upper  part  is  filled  with  a   sunburst 

made  of  pleated  silk, 
from  which  this  style 
of  piano  was  some- 
times called  a  sun- 
burst piano. 

A  very  beautiful 
and  ornamental  piano 
is  shown  in  Illustra- 
tion 305,  owned  by 
James  H.  Darling- 
ton, D.D.,  of  Brook- 
lyn, New  York.  The 
body  of  the  piano  is 
made  of  rosewood. 
The  strings  are  ar- 
ranged like  those  in 
a  grand  piano,  but 
the  sounding-board 
extends  only  the  dis- 
tance of  the  piano 
body  ;  above  that  the 
those  of  a  harp.  The 
the  wires  are  strung  is 


Illus.  304. 


Chickering  Upright  Piano. 
1830. 


strings    are    exposed    like 

wooden  frame  upon  which 

supported  by  a  post  of  wood  elaborately  carved  and 

gilded.     The  keyboard  has  a  range  of  seven  octaves. 

Upon    the    inside    of    the    cover    is  the    inscription 

"New  York  Piano  Company  —  Kohn  patent.'' 


Illus.  305.  — Piano,  about   1840. 


312 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


The  story  is  that  a  piano-maker  in  New  York 
vowed  he  would  make  the  most  beautiful  piano  in 
the  world.  One  like  this  was  the  result,  and  it  was 
bought  by  A.  T.  Stewart,  at  that  time,  about  1840, 
the  merchant  prince  of  New  York.  Six  others  were 
made  like  the  original  piano,  and  they  are  scattered 


lUus.  306.  —  Hawkey  Square  Piano,  about   1845. 


over  the  country,  one  being  in  the  Brown  collection 
of  musical  instruments  in  the  Metropolitan  Mu- 
seum of  Art. 

Illustration  306  shows  the  form  in  which  the 
square  piano  was  finally  made,  and  which,  with  few 
variations,  continued  fashionable  until  the  introduc- 
tion of  the  present  style  of  upright  pianos,  since  when 


Musical  Instruments 


313 


there  have  been  practically  no  square  pianos  manu- 
factured. This  piano  was  made  by  Henry  Hawkey 
of  New  York,  about  1845,  and  it  is  noteworthy  be- 
cause the  keys  are  made  of  mother-of-pearl,  and  the 
scrolls  above  the  keyboard  are  inlaid  in  mother-of- 
pearl.  The  case  is  covered 
with  rosewood  veneering, 
and  the  legs  are  large  and 
clumsy.  The  music-rack 
and  pedal  support  are  simi- 
lar in  style  to  those  now 
in  use. 

Proficiency  upon  the 
piano  and  spinet  would 
appear  to  have  comprised 
the  chief  accomplishments 
in  instrumental  music  of 
the  young  ladies  of  the 
eighteenth  and  early  nine- 
teenth centuries,  as  far  as 
we  can  judge  by  mention 
of  such  accomplishments. 
But  it  seems  reasonable 
to '  suppose  that  where  a 
few  English  ladies  em- 
ployed their  fair  hands 
upon  the  harp,  there  were 
not  lacking  a  similar  num- 
ber of  Americans  who 
also  appreciated  the  oppor- 
tunity which  that  classic 
instrument  aifords  of  dis-      lUus.  307.  — Harp,  1780-1790. 


314  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

playing  the  grace  and  beauty  of  a  rounded  arm 
and  wrist.  Even  in  our  own  day,  the  list  of  those 
who  play  the  harp  is  restricted,  and  it  must  have 
been  the  same  in  early  days,  hence  the  lack  of 
allusions  to  the  harp.  When  Lady  Morgan,  the 
"wild  Irish  girl,"  was  creating  such  a  sensation  in 
London  with  her  harp-playing,  it  is  certain  that 
she  had  imitators  in  this  country. 

Christopher  Columbus  Baldwin,  in  his  diary  of 
1832,  speaks  of  Madam  Papanti,  who  at  that  time 
lived  in  Worcester  with  her  husband,  the  famous 
dancing-teacher.  She  gave  music  lessons,  possibly 
upon  the  harp,  for  Mr.  Baldwin  tells  of  her  play- 
ing that  instrument  upon  Sundays  at  Dr.  Bancroft's 
church,  while  her  husband  played  the  French  horn, 
"which,  with  two  flutes,  a  base  viol,  and  violin,  make 
very  good  musick." 

Illustration  307  shows  a  very  beautiful  harp  made 
previous  to  1800,  belonging  to  Mrs.  Reed  Lawton 
of  Worcester.  In  construction  it  is  not  very  differ- 
ent from  the  modern  harp,  although  considerably 
smaller.  It  is  exquisitely  carved,  and  instead  of 
being  gilded  is  painted  in  colors,  and  finished  with 
a  varnish  like  the  vernis  martin,  the  general  effect 
being  a  golden  brown.  The  harp  which  Marie 
Antoinette  played  upon  is  still  preserved,  and  is 
very  like  this  one. 


CHAPTER  X 


FIRES   AND    LIGHTS 


IKi 


HEN  wood  was 
plentiful  and  easily 
gathered,  the  fireplace 
was  built  of  generous 
proportions.  At  the  back, 
lying  in  the  ashes,  was  the 
back-log,  sometimes  so  huge 
that  a  chain  was  attached  to 
it,  and  it  was  dragged  in  by 
a  horse.  The  forestick  rested 
upon  the  andirons,  and  small 
sticks  filled  the  space  be- 
tween backlog  and  forestick. 
In  the  wall  beside  the  fire- 
place was  built  the  brick 
oven,  in  which  the  baking 
was  done.  Upon  baking 
day  a  wood  fire  was  made 
inside  this  oven,  and  when 
the  oven  was  thoroughly 
heated,  the  coals  were  re- 
moved, and  the  bread  placed 
upon  the  oven  bottom  to  bake  leisurely.  The  tin 
kitchen  was  set  before  the  fire,  and  pies  and  bread 

31S 


Fires  and  Lights 


317 


heat  reflected 


upon  its  shelves  were  cooked  by  the 
and  radiated  from  the  tin  hood. 

Illustration    308    shows    a    great 
kitchen  fireplace  in  the  Lee  man- 
sion in  Marblehead,  Massachusetts, 
with  the  tin  kitchens  in  front  of  the 
fire,  and  the  ket- 
tles      and      pots 
hanging    over    it, 
and    the    various 
kitchen      utensils 
around  it. 

F  i  r  e-d  o  g  s  or 
andirons  are  men- 
tioned in  theearli- 


Illus.  309.  —  Andirons, 
Eighteenth  Century. 

est  inventories. 
The  name  "fire- 
dogs"  came  from 
the  heads  of  ani- 
mals with  which 
the  irons  were 
ornamented. 
"Andirons"  is  a 
word      corrupted 

Illus.  310.  — Andirons,  Eighteenth  Century,     from        "hand 

irons,"  although 
some  inventories  speak  of  end-irons.  Kitchen  and- 
irons were  of  iron  similar  to  the  ones  in  Illustration 
316,  but  for  the  other  fireplaces  they  were  made 


318 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


of  steel,  copper,  or  brass,  and  in  England  even  of 
silver. 

Illustration  309  shows  a  pair  of  andirons,  with 
shovel  and  tongs,  owned  by  Francis  H.  Bigelow, 
Esq.  The  andirons  are  "rights  and  lefts,"  and 
have  the  brass  knobs  to  prevent  the  forestick  from 
falling  forward.  Illustration  310  shows  another  pair 
belonging  to  Mr.  Bigelow,  with  claw-and-ball  feet 
and  the  twisted  flame  top.     These  are  given  as  good 

examples  of  the 
best  styles  of  and- 
irons in  use  in  well- 
to-do  households  in 
America  during  the 
seventeenth  century. 
Illustration  311 
shows  a  pair  of 
"  Hessians  "  made 
of  iron.  Andirons 
of  this  style  were 
very  popular  im- 
mediately after  the 
Revolutionary  War, 
the  figures  of  the 
hated  allies  of  the  British  thus  receiving  the 
treatment  with  flame  and  ashes  that  Americans  con- 
sidered the  originals  to  merit,  to  say  nothing  of 
worse  indignities  cast  upon  them  by  the  circle  of 
tobacco-smoking  patriots. 

Andirons  were  made  of  different  heights,  and 
sometimes  two  or  more  sets  were  used  in  one  fire- 
place, to  hold  larger  and  smaller  sticks.     Creepers 


Illus.  311.— "Hessian"  Andirons,  1776. 


Fires  and  Lights 


319 


are  mentioned  in  early  inventories.  They  were  low 
irons  placed  between  the  andirons,  to  hold  short 
sticks. 

As  wood  grew  less  plentiful,  and  as  the  forests 
near  by  were  cleared  away,  it  was  not  so  easy  to 
obtain  the  huge  backlog  and  the  great  pile  of  sticks 


Illus.  312.  — Fireplace,    1770-1775. 


to  fill  the  generous  fireplace,  and  by  the  middle 
of  the  eighteenth  century  its  size  had  diminished. 
Many  of  the  larger  ones  were  partially  filled  in. 
The  fireplace  in  the  Ipswich  Whipple  house,  when 
the  house  was  bought  by  the  society  which  now 
owns  it,  had  been  bricked  in  twice  —  once  to  make 
the  space  less,  and  the  second  time  to  fill  it  in 
entirely  and  put  a  fire-frame  in  its  place.     Chim- 


320 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


neys  which  did  not  smoke  were  the  exception  until 
Count  Rumford  made  his  researches  in  heat  and 
light,  and  by  his  discoveries  and  improvements  in 
construction  enabled  our  ancestors  to  have  chimneys 
which  did  not  smoke,  and  which  did  not  carry  up 
the  greater  portion  of  the  heat  from  the  fire. 

Illustration  312  shows  a  fireplace  in  Salem  of 
about  1775,  with  ball-topped  andirons.  The  sets 
for  the  fireplace  comprised  the  andirons,  shovel,  and 
tongs.  The  poker  never  accompanied  the  older 
sets,  which  were  made  before  the  use  of  coal  as  fuel 
had  become  common  in  this  country,  but  a  pair  of 
bellows  generally  formed  a  part  of  the  equipment 
of  the  fireplace. 

Illustration  313  shows  a  fireplace  in  the  residence 
of  Harry  Harkness  Flagler,  Esq.,  with  a  brass  fen- 
der and  a  pair  of 
"  steeple-topped  " 
andirons.  Fenders 
were  used  in  England 
earlier  than  in  this 
country,  to  keep  the 
sticks  or  coals  of  fire 
from  rolling  or  fly- 
ing out  upon  the 
floor  in  front  of  the 
fireplace,  and  to  prevent  children  from  getting  into 
the  fire.  Their  size  was  adapted  to  the  reduced 
dimensions  of  the  fireplaces,  and  they  were  used 
more  with  coal  fires  than  with  wood. 

The  design  of  andirons  most  commonly  found  is 
shown    in    Illustration    314.        The    little    andirons 


^^^^^■^^^^^Uw^ 


lus.  313.  —  Steeple-topped  Andirons 
and  Fender,  1775-1790. 


Fires  and  Lights 


321 


between  the  larger  ones  are  "creepers,"  and  are  used 
to  hold  short  pieces  of  wood.  They  are  of  the  same 
design  as  the  larger  pair,  although  they  were  bought 
several  years,  and  hundreds  of  miles,  apart. 

The  fender  in  Illustration  314  is  of  wire,  painted 
black,  with  the  top  rail  and  balls  of  brass.  The  and- 
irons and  fender  belong  to  the  writer. 


fp 

-^SSt^jr^ff^fflflf 

« „  1,^-^ 

Illus.  314.  — Andirons,  Creepers,  and  Fender,   1700-1800. 


Judge  Sewall  ordered  in  1719  for  his  daughter 
Judith,  about  to  be  married,  "a  bell-metal  skillet,  a 
warming  pan,  four  pairs  of  brass  headed  iron  dogs,  a 
brass  hearth  for  a  chamber  with  dogs,  tongs,  shovel 
and  fender  of  the  newest  fashion  (the  fire  to  lie  on 
the  iron),  a  brass  mortar,  four  pairs  of  brass  candle- 
sticks,  four   brass    snuffers   with   stands,    six   small 


322  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

brass  chafing  dishes, 
two  brass  basting 
ladles,  a  pair  of  bellows 
with  brass  nose,  a  small 
hair  broom,  a  dozen 
pewter  porringers,  a 
dozen  small  glass  salt 
cellars,  and  a  dozen 
good  ivory  hafted 
knives  and  forks." 

The    appurtenances 

for     the     fireplace     in 

this     list    comprise 

I iius.  315.  — Brass  Andirons,         the      fender,      shovel, 

1700-1800.  tongs,  broom,  bellows, 

and  the  "dogs." 

Illustration  315  shows   a  pair  of   brass    andirons 

and  Illustration  316,  a 

set   of    "  brass-headed 

iron    dogs,"    such     as 

Sewall  ordered.     Both 

pairs  belong  to  Dwight 

M.    Prouty,    Esq.    of 

Boston. 

By  1650  the  use  of 

coal  had  become  com- 
mon in  England  from 

the    scarcity    and    ex- 
pense   of    wood    as    a 

fuel,    and     from    that 

time  fireplaces  in  that  ^^^^  zie.-sZsZ^ded  iron  Dogs. 

country      were      con-  1700-I8OO. 


Fires  and  Lights  323 

structed  for  coal  fires.  The  books  of  designs  of 
the  eighteenth  century  show  many  and  elaborate 
drawings  of  grates  for  coal.  In  this  country, 
however,  the  lack  of  wood  has  never  been  felt, 
and  the  fireplace  to  burn  wood  has  held  its  own, 
with  its  andirons,  not  so  generous  as  in  the  early 
days,  but  still  of  goodly  size. 

Firebacks  were  made  of  iron  for  fireplaces,  some- 
times cast  with  the  coat-of-arms  of  the  owner  or  the 
date  of  construction.  In  Pennsylvania  were  fa- 
mous iron  workers,  and  there  is  a  collection  of 
iron  firebacks  in  the  museum  at  Memorial  Hall, 
Philadelphia.  At  Mount  Vernon  is  a  fireback 
with  the  Fairfax  coat-of-arms  which  Washington 
took  from  Belvoir,  the  estate  of  Lord  Fairfax,  ad- 
joining Mount  Vernon. 

Illustration  317  shows  a  chimney  piece  in  the  west 
parlor  at  Mount  Vernon.  Washington's  coat-of- 
arms  is  carved  at  the  top,  and  his  crest  and  initials 
are  cast  in  the  fireback.  In  the  panel  over  the 
mantel  is  a  painting  which  was  sent  to  Lawrence 
Washington  in  1743,  by  Admiral  Vernon,  in  ac- 
knowledgment of  the  courtesy  shown  by  Lawrence 
Washington  to  his  old  commander,  in  naming  the 
estate  Mount  Vernon.  The  painting  represents 
Admiral    Vernon's    fleet  at    Cartagena. 

About  1750  the  hob-grate  was  invented.  Illus- 
tration 318  shows  a  mantel  and  fireplace  with  a  hob- 
grate  in  the  house  of  Charles  R.  Waters,  Esq.,  of 
Salem.  The  fireplace  was  filled  in  with  brick  or 
stone  at  each  side,  and  the  grate  set  between.  The 
bars,  of  course,  are  of  Iron  for  holding  coal,  and  the 


/  — rrfnpiiw  iiiiwiimiwiwiwiii  iwiiiimii mJKKmr 

I  uiit  I  Mfi  i  inutiirrTriiiiMinnuiiiiiTiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiHi^^^^"" 


^' 


i 


lUus.  317.— Mantel  at  Mount  Vernon,   1760-1770. 


Fires  and  Lights 


325 


sides  of  the  grate  are  of  brass.  These  were  at  first 
called  "cat-stones"  to  distinguish  them  from  "fire- 
dogs,"   but   later   they   were   named   "hob-grates." 


« 

'^    ^ 

W^-^^^~^r^^^  ^^i?^ 

-w'"=i 

1 

^H 

1 

1 

— 

^■^f£. 

Illus.  318.— Mantel  with  Hob-grate,   1776. 


Below  the  grate  is  a  small  brass  fender  to  prevent 
the  ashes  from  scattering,  and  around  the  fireplace 
is  a  fender  of  iron  wire  with  brass  rails  and  feet. 


326  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

The  hob-grate  was  more  in  use  in  the  South  than 
In  the  North. 

In  1745,  after  many  experiments,  and  goaded  to 
it  by  the  smoking  chimneys  and  wasted  heat  of  the 
fireplace,  Franklin  invented  the  stove  in  use  ever 
since,  called  the  Franklin  stove  or  grate.  Illustra- 
tion 319  shows  a  Franklin  stove  in  the  Warner  house 
at  Portsmouth.  The  fireplace,  faced  with  tiles,  was 
originally  built  to  burn  wood,  but  when  the  new- 
fashioned  Franklin  stove  became  popular,  one  was 
bought  and  set  into  the  fireplace,  the  front  of  the 
stove  projecting  into  the  room.  The  stove  is  made 
of  iron,  with  the  three  rosettes,  the  open-work  rail 
at  the  top,  the  large  knobs  in  front  and  the  small 
knobs  at  the  back,  of  brass,  which  every  good  house- 
keeper kept  as  brightly  polished  as  the  brass  and- 
irons and  the  handles  of  the  shovel  and  tongs.  At 
each  side  of  the  fireplace  are  the  original  brass  rests 
for  the  shovel  and  tongs. 

Later  in  the  century  the  fireplace  was  filled  in 
with  a  board  or  bricks,  and  what  was  called  a  fire- 
frame  was  used.  It  was  similar  to  the  upper  part 
of  a  Franklin  stove;  the  back  and  sides  of  iron, 
somewhat  larger  than  those  of  the  Franklin  stove, 
resting  directly  upon  the  stone  hearth,  giving  the 
effect  of  an  iron  fireplace  in  front  of  the  old  one. 
Oftentimes  in  an  old  house  may  be  found  a  large 
fireplace  filled  in,  with  the  iron  fire-frame  in  front 
of  it,  that  in  its  turn  superseded  by  a  stove  placed 
with  its  pipe  passing  through  the  fire-frame.  Illus- 
tration 320  shows  a  fire-frame  in  the  Wayside  Inn 
at  Sudbury,  Massachusetts. 


r 

SK 

1 

,4      '•! 

""  ^ 

] 

JN! 

-r                              1 

1  :m        ik 

1'  '  ,>■* 

1  i?i' 

i^Ml 

■   ^ 

^?      i      ;: 

^^w->  1 

^^                     W 

';\ 

|!     ; ";  <;;     ■•..■'. 

1  ^ 

li     ' 

,    ^ 

1  ' 

>' 

I^^^^H 

i^  .: 

^Sm 

» 

»»*-6-*. 

9^*»mr      •"^.-:-.    - 

i.^ 

— ^ 

„.„       m^.^      _-^H 

,.-..^5^. 

-^'■"■' '^                    --rr,^:=»« 

■^ 

s 


328 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Candles  and  whale  oil,  with  pine- wood  knots,  pro- 
vided the  light  for  the  Pilgrim  fathers,  aside  from 
that  thrown  out  by  the  great  wood  fire.  Candle- 
sticks formed  a  necessary  part  of  the  furnishings  of 


Illus.  320.— Iron  Fire-frame,    1775-1800. 


a  house.  They  were  made  of  brass,  iron,  tin,  pew- 
ter, and  silver,  but  candlesticks  of  brass  were  the 
ones  in  most  general  use. 

The  earliest  form  of  lamp  in  use  in  the  colonies 
was  what  is  known  as  a  "betty  lamp,"  and  it  must 
have  been  a  most  untidy  little  utensil,  giving  but  a 
meagre  light.  Illustration  321  shows  several  betty 
lamps  owned  by  the  writer.  The  smallest  is  of 
iron,  two  and  a  half  inches  in  diameter,  with  a  nose 


Fires  and  Lights 


329 


projecting  one  inch  and  a  quarter  beyond  the  re- 
ceptacle for  grease  or  fat.  A  chain  and  hook  are 
attached  to  the 
handle,  by  which 
the  lamp  was  hung 
upon  a  chair-back 
or  a  nail.  The 
wick,  made  of  a 
twisted  cotton  rag, 
was  placed  with  its 
end  protruding 
from  the  nose  of 
the  lamp,  and  pro- 
vided a  dull,  poor 
flame.  Another 
lamp  has  the  chain 
and  the  receptacle 
for  grease  made  of 
brass,  while  the 
handle,  the  hook 
by  which  it  was  to 
hang,  and  the  pin 
for  cleaning  the 
lamp,  attached  to 
the  chain,  are  of 
steel.  The  bottom 
of  the  brass  re- 
ceptacle is  of  cop- 
per. There  is  a 
cover  to  the  front 
part  of  this  lamp, 

so  that  the  interior      ^^^3,  321 Betty  Lamps,  Seventeenth 

Century. 


Illus.  322.  —  Candle-Stands,  first  half  of  Eighteenth  Century. 


Fires  and  Lights  331 

can  be  cleaned,  and  the  piece  of  steel  forming  the 
handle  runs  through  the  interior  of  the  lamp,  the 
end  providing  a  nose  for  the  wick  just  inside  of 
the  brass  one,  thus  allowing  the  drippings  from 
the  wick  to  drain  back  into  the  receptacle.  The 
lamp  with  a  standard  has  an  iron  rod,  upon  which 
the  lamp  can  slide  up  and  down,  with  a  ring  at 
the  top  of  the  rod  to  lift  it  by.  The  fourth  betty 
lamp  is  hung  upon  an  old  wooden  ratchet  intended 
for  that  purpose.  The  ratchet  is  made  of  two 
strips  of  wood,  one  cut  with  saw-teeth  edge,  which 
can  be  raised  and  lowered  to  place  the  lamp  at  the 
desired  height.  Betty  lamps  were  in  use  during 
the  seventeenth  century,  and  much  later  than  that 
in  the  South. 

As  early  as  1696,  inventories  mention  a  "Candle- 
stand  for  two  brass  candlesticks."  Illustration  322 
shows  two  of  these  candle-stands  in  the  collection 
of  the  late  Major  Ben  :  Perley  Poore  at  Indian  Hill. 
The  larger  stand  is  made  of  iron,  and  was  fashioned 
by  the  local  blacksmith,  near  Indian  Hill.  It  was 
taken  by  the  grandfather  of  Major  Poore-  to  Har- 
vard University  when  he  went  there  a  student  in 
1776.  The  tongs  hanging  upon  this  stand  are  a 
smoker's  tongs,  for  lifting  a  coal  from  the  fire  to 
light  the  pipe,  the  curved  end  on  one  side  of  the 
handle  being  used  to  press  the  tobacco  into  the  pipe, 
or  to  clean  it  out.  The  three  feet  of  the  other  stand 
are  of  iron,  and  the  pole,  candlesticks,  and  two  pairs 
of  snuffers  are  of  brass.  These  stands  probably  were 
made  during  the  first  half  of  the  eighteenth  century. 
The  room,  a  corner  of  which  shows  in  the  illustra- 


332  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Times 

tion,  is  fitted  with  panels  from  the  "Province 
House,"  the  home  at  one  time  of  Agnes  Surrlage. 
The  pillars  showing  behind  the  candle-stands  were 
taken  from  the  old  Brattle  Street  Church  in  Boston 
when  it  was  pulled  down.     One  end  of  a  Sheraton 


Illus.  323.  — Mantel  with  Candle  Shades.    1775-1800. 

sofa  may  be  seen  In  the  picture,  and  several  of  the 
illustrations  for  this  book  were  taken  in  this  fine 
room. 

Illustration  323  shows  a  mantel  in  the  house  of 
Mrs.  Johnson-Hudson  at  Stratford,  Connecticut. 
The  looking-glass  frame  Is  made  entirely  of  glass. 
Upon  the  shelf  are  two  candlesticks,  and  over  them 
are  large  glass  shades,  called  hurricane  glasses,  used  to 
protect  the  flame  from  draughts.  These  shades  are 
now  reproduced,  and  It  is  almost  Impossible  to  tell 
the  old  from  the  new.     The  clock  upon  the  shelf 


Fires  and  Lights 


333 


is  a  very  old  English  one,  but  the  reflections 
upon  the  glass  cover  make  it  difficult  to  see 
the  clock.  The  effect  of  this  mantel,  with  the 
glass  shades,  all  reflected  in  the  looking-glass,  is 
most  brilliant.  The  candlesticks  are  of  Shefl&eld 
plate,  about  one  hundred  years  old. 


Illus.  324.  —  Candlesticks,   1775-1800. 

Illustration  324  shows  two  candlesticks  owned  by 
the  writer.  The  one  shaped  like  a  mug  with  a 
handle  is  of  Sheffield  plate,  and  was  made  for  use 
in  a  sick-room  or  any  place  where  it  was  necessary 
to  burn  a  light  during  the  entire  night.  There 
should  be  a  glass  chimney  to  fit  into  the  candle- 
stick and  protect  the  flame  from  draughts.  The 
open-work    band    around    the    candlestick    allowed 


334 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


the  passage  of  air,  thus  insuring  a  clear  flame.  The 
long-handled  extinguisher  upon  the  rest  provided 
for  it  was  to  put  out  the  light  of  a  candle  which 

was  protected  by  a 
chimney  or  by  glass 
shades  such  as  are  in 
Illustration  323.  The 
other  candlestick  is 
of  brass,  with  extin- 
guisher and  snuffers 
which  were  made  to 
fit  the  candlestick, 
the  ordinary  handle- 
less  extinguisher  serv- 
ing to  put  out  the 
flame  of  any  candle 
unprotected  by  a 
chimney  or  shade. 

In  1784  a  French- 
man named  Argand 
invented  the  lamp 
still  called  by  his 
name.  The  first  Ar- 
gand lamp  brought 
to  this  country  was 
given  by  Thomas  Jefferson  to  Charles  Thomson. 
These  lamps  gave  what  was  then  considered  to  be  a 
brilliant  and  even  dazzling  light,  but  their  price 
placed  them  beyond  the  reach  of  ordinary  folk, 
who  continued  to  use  tallow  candles.  Wax  candles 
were  burned  by  the  wealthy,  in  candlesticks  and 
sconces,  and  occasionally  in  chandeliers. 


lllus.  325.  — Crystal  Chandelier, 
about  1760. 


Fires  and  Lights 

Illustration  325  shows  a  rich 
chandelier  for  candles,  in  the  War- 
ner house,  at  Portsmouth.  It  was 
probably  brought  to  this  country 
about  1765,  the  same  date  that 
other  handsome  furnishings  were 
bought  for  this  house.  The  metal 
work  of  this  chandelier  is  of 
brass.  Chandeliers  with  glass  drops 
are  spoken  of  in  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury, coming  from  Venice. 

Illustration  326  shows  one  of  the 
pair  of  beau- 
tiful lamps 
which  are 
fastened  to 
the  wall 

above  the 
mantel  of  the 
banquet  hall 
at  Mount 
Vernon,  and 
which  were 
in  use  there 
during  the 
life  of  Wash- 
ington. They 
are  made  of 
silver,  with 
the  reservoir  for  oil  of  a  graceful  urn  shape. 

Eliza  Susan  Morton  Quincy  gives  a  description  of 
the  house  of  Ebenezer  Storer  in  Boston,  and  in  it 


Illus.  326.  —  Silver  Lamp  from  Mount  Vernon, 
1770-1800. 


Fires  and  Lights  337 

she  says  :  "The  ceilings  were  traversed  through  the 
length  of  the  rooms,  by  a  large  beam  cased  and  fin- 
ished like  the  walls  ;  and  from  the  centre  of  each  de- 
pended a  glass  globe,  which  reflected  as  a  convex 
mirror,  all  the  objects  in  the  room."  These  globes 
also  reflected  the  light  from  candles  in  the  room. 

From  the  rafters  or  ceiling  in  plainer  homes  hung 
sometimes  a  candle  beam,  a  rude  chandelier,  made  of 
two  pieces  of  metal  crossed  or  a  circle  of  metal,  with 
sockets  for  candles  fixed  upon  them. 

The  chandelier  in  Illustration  327  is  for  candles, 
and  is  without  doubt  the  finest  one  of  its  period  in 
this  country.  It  is  in  the  Pringle  house  in  Charles- 
ton, South  Carolina,  and  it  was  probably  placed  in 
the  house  when  it  was  built  in  1760,  at  which  time 
it  was  furnished  with  great  elegance.  It  is  amazing 
that  so  frail  a  thing  as  this  glass  chandelier  with 
all  of  its  shades  should  have  survived  the  Civil 
War,  and  still  more,  the  earthquake  which  laid  low 
a  large  part  of  the  city,  but  not  one  shade  has  been 
shaken  down.  There  are  twenty-four  branches  to 
the  chandelier,  twelve  in  each  row,  and  a  large  glass 
shade  for  each  candle,  to  protect  the  flame  from  the 
draughts.  The  long  chains  hang  from  a  bell  of  glass, 
from  which  fall  glass  drops,  and  from  a  large  bowl 
spring  the  branches  with  their  tall  shades,  and 
between  them  are  glass  chains  with  drops.  The  glass 
chains  are  very  light  and  the  chandelier  is  not 
loaded  with  heavy  drops.  It  is  impossible  to  imagine 
anything  more  light  and  graceful  in  efl'ect. 

"Skreans"  are  mentioned  in  very  early  invento- 
ries, and  indeed  they  must  have  been  a  necessity,  to 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


protect  the  face  from 
the  intense  heat  of 
the  large  open  fire. 
They  afforded  then, 
as  now,  an  opportu- 
nity for  the  display  of 
feminine  handiwork. 
The  dainty  little  fire- 
screen In  Illustration 
328  was  made  about 
1780,  and  is  owned 
by  Mrs.  Johnson- 
Hudson  of  Stratford, 
Connecticut.  The 
frame  and  stand  are 
of  mahogany,  and  the 
spreading  legs  are  un- 
usually slender  and 
graceful.  The  em- 
broidered screen  was 
wrought  by  the 
daughters  of  Dr. 
William  Samuel 
Johnson,  the  first 
president  of  Colum- 
bia University.  The 
same  young  girls  em- 
broidered the  top  of 
the  card-table  in  Il- 
lustration    199,     and 

Ulus.  328.  —  Embroidered 
Screen,   1780. 


Fires  and  Lights  339 

the  work  is  done  with  the  same  patient  indus- 
try and  skill.  The  vase  which  is  copied  in  the 
embroidery  is  of  Delft,  and  is  still  owned  in  the 
family. 

A  very  curious  and  interesting  piece  of  work  is 
shown  in  Illustration  329.  It  forms  the  back  of  a 
sconce  owned  by  Francis  H.  Bigelow,  Esq.,  and  in  his 
book  **  Historic  Silver  of  the  Colonies,"  Mr.  Bigelow 
describes  the  candle  bracket,  made  in  1720  by 
Knight  Leverett,  which  fits  into  the  socket  upon  the 
frame.  Benjamin  Burt,  the  silversmith,  in  his  will 
left  to  a  niece  *'a  sconce  of  quill  work  wrought  by  her 
aunt."  In  1755  a  Mrs.  Hiller  advertised  to  teach 
"Wax  work.  Transparent  and  Filligree,  Quill  work 
and  Feather  work."  "Quill  work"  is  made  of  paper 
of  various  colors,  gilt  upon  one  side,  rolled  tightly,  like 
paper  tapers.  Some  were  pulled  out  into  points, 
others  made  into  leaf  and  petal-shaped  pieces,  and 
when  finished  they  were  coated  with  some  waxy  sub- 
stance, and  sprinkled  with  tiny  bits  of  glass,  all  in  gay 
colors,  and  when  the  candles  were  lighted  the  quill 
work  glistened  and  sparkled. 

The  quill  work  in  this  sconce  is  made  into  an  elab- 
orate design  of  a  vase  with  flowers,  and  it  is  set 
into  a  very  deep  frame,  and  covered  tightly  with 
glass,  which  accounts  for  its  perfect  preservation. 
The  top  ornament  to  the  frame  is  cut  in  the  manner 
of  looking  glass  frames  of  the  period. 

The  tripod  screen  in  Illustration  330  is  owned 
by  Dwight  M.  Prouty,  Esq.  The  little  shelf  for  the 
candlestick  drops  on  a  hinge  when  not  in  use.  The 
tripod  feet  have  a  light  springing  curve,  and  end  in 


Illus.  329.  — Sconce  of  Quill  Work.   1720. 


Fires  and  Lights 


341 


a  flattened  claw-and-ball.     The  original  embroidery 
is  still  in  the  frame. 


Illus.  330.  — Tripod 
Screen.   1770. 


Illus.  331.  — Tripod 
Screen,   1765. 


Another  tripod  screen  is  shown  in  Illustra- 
tion 331.  It  is  owned  by  Cornelius  Stevenson, 
Esq.,  of  Philadelphia.    The  embroidery  and  the  frame 


342 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


upon  it  were  made  in  the  nineteenth  century  but  the 
stand  is  much  earlier  and  is  finely  carved  in  the 
Chippendale   style,   with   the    French   foot.     Three 


Illus.  332.  —  Candle-Stand  and  Screen,   1750-1775. 

serpents   encircle    the    pole,   from   which    they   are 
completely  detached.     The  wood  is  mahogany. 
Screens  were  sometimes  made  of  a  piece  of  wood 


Fires  and  Lights 


343 


perforated,  In  order  that  the  heat  might  not  be  en- 
tirely shut  off.  Illustration  332  shows  one  of  these 
screens  iii  the  collection  of  the 
late  Major  Ben  :  Perley  Poore. 
Both  the  screen  and  the  candle- 
stand  in  the  illustration  are  made 
of  mahogany.  The  candlestick 
upon  the  stand  is  a  curious  one, 
of  brass,  with  a  socket  for  the 
candle  set  upon  an  adjustable 
arm,  which  also  slides  upon 
a  slender  rod,  which  is  fastened 
into  the  heavily  weighted  stand- 
ard. Both  screen  and  candle- 
stand  were  made  in  the  latter 
half  of  the  eighteenth  century. 
Candle-stands  were  designed  by 
all  the  great  cabinet-makers, 
and  in  those  days  of  candle- 
light they  were  a  useful  piece 
of  furniture. 

A  candle-stand  in  the  finest 
Chippendale  style  is  shown  in 
Illustration  333.  It  is  one  of 
a  pair  owned  by  Harry  Hark- 
ness  Flagler,  Esq.  The  inten- 
tion was  presumably  that  a 
candle-stand  with  candelabrum 
should  be  placed  at  each  side 
of  the  mantel.  A  pair  of 
candle-stands  similar  to  this  are  m^g.  333.  -  Chippendale 
in  the  banquet  hall  at  Mount  Candle-stand,  1760-1770. 


34+  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

Vernon,  and  are  among  the  few  pieces  of  furniture 
there  which  are  authenticated  as  having  been  in 
use  during  Washington's  occupancy  of  the  house. 
The  candle-stand  in  the  illustration  is  forty-two 
inches  high,  and  its  proportions  are  beautiful.  The 
legs  and  the  ball  at  the  base  of  the  fluted  pillar 
are  very  finely  carved.  The  legs  end  in  the  French 
foot,  the  scroll  turning  forward,  which  was  such  a 
favorite  with  Chippendale.     The  top  is  carved  out 


IHus.  334.  — Bronze  Mantel  Lannps,   1815-1840. 

so  that  there  is  a  raised  rim,  like  that  upon  the 
"dish-top"  table  in  Illustration  246. 

The  first  recorded  instance  in  this  country  of 
lighting  by  artificial  gas  is  in  1806,  when  David 
Melville  of  Newport,  Rhode  Island,  succeeded  in 
manufacturing  gas,  and  illuminated  his  house  and 
grounds  with  it.  In  1822  Boston  was  lighted  by 
gas,  but  it  did  not  come  into  general  use  for  light- 
ing until  1 840-1 850. 

During  the  second  quarter  of  the  nineteenth  cen^ 
tury  it  was  fashionable  to  use  candelabra  and  lamps 
which  were   hung  with   cut-glass   prisms.     Sets   of 


Fires  and  Lights 


345 


candelabra  for  the  mantel  were  very  popular,  con- 
sisting of  a  three-branched  candelabrum  for  the 
middle  and  a  single  light  for  each  side.  The  base 
was  usually  of  marble,  and  the  gilt  standard  was 
cast  in  different  shapes,  —  of  a  shepherd  and  shep- 
herdess, a  group  of  maidens,  or  a  lady  clad  in  the 


lUus.  335.  — Brass  Gilt  Candelabra,   1820-1849. 


costume  of  the  day.  From  an  ornament  at  the  base 
of  the  candle,  shaped  like  an  inverted  crown,  hung 
sparkling  prisms,  catching  the  light  as  they  quivered 
with  every  step  across  the  room.  A  handsome  set  of 
these  is  shown  in  Illustration  318  upon  the  mantel. 
Illustration  334  shows  a  set  of  mantel  lamps  of 
bronze,  mounted  upon  marble  bases  and  hung  with 
cut-glass  prisms.  The  reservoir  for  the  oil  is  be- 
neath the  long  prisms.  This  set  is  owned  by  Francis 
H.  Bigelow,  Esq. 


346 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Illustration  335  shows  a  fine  pair  of  brass  gilt 
candelabra  also  owned  by  Mr.  Bigelow.  They  have 
marble  bases,  and  the  five  twisted  arms  are  cast  in 
an  elaborate  design. 

Illustration  336  shows  a  hall  lantern  which  was 
formerly  in  use  in  the  John  Hancock  house.     It  is 


Illus.  336.  —  Hall  Lantern, 
1775-1800. 


Illus.  337.  — Hall  Lantern, 
1760. 


now  owned  by  Harry  Harkness  Flagler,  Esq.  Such 
lanterns  were  hung  in  the  entry  or  hall,  and  were 
made  to  burn  either  a  lamp  or  candle.  "  Square  glass, 
bell  glass,  barrel  or  globe  lanthorns  for  entries  or  stair- 
cases" were  advertised  as  early  as  1724  and  formed  a 
necessary  furnishing  for  the  hall  of  a  handsome  house. 


Fires  and  Lights 


347 


Illustration  337  shows  a  hall  lantern  owned  by 
Dwight  M.  Prouty,  Esq.  It  is  of  a  globe  shape, 
and  very  large  and  handsome,  with  deep  cutting  on 
the  glass.  The  bell-shaped  piece  of  glass  above  is 
missing.  This  bell  was 
to  prevent  the  smoke  of 
the  candle  from  black- 
ening the  ceiling.  The 
metal  piece  below  the 
globe  contains  the 
socket  and  can  be  re- 
moved to  change  the 
candle. 

Illustration  338  shows 
one  of  two  lanterns  hung 
in  the  hall  of  the  house 
built  for  the  Pendelton 
Collection,  in  Provi- 
dence. It  is  unusually 
large,  and  the  glass  is 
red  with  cuttings  of 
white.  Instead  of  chains 
the  lantern  is  held  by 
scrolls  of  metal  like  the  frame  of  the  glass.  Such 
a  lantern  as  this  may  have  been  in  the  mind  of  Peter 
Faneuil  of  Boston  when  in  1738  he  sent  to  Europe 
for  "  a  very  handsome  Lanthorne  to  hang  in  an 
Entry  way." 


Illus.  338.  — Hall  Lantern,   1760. 


CHAPTER  XI 


CLOCKS 


u 


jr  yNTIL  about  1600,  clocks 
were  made  chiefly  for 
public  buildings  or  for  the 
very  wealthy,  who  only 
could  aiford  to  own  them ;  but 
with  the  seventeenth  century  be- 
gan the  manufacture  of  clocks  for 
ordinary  use ;  these  clocks  were 
of  brass,  and  were  known  as 
chamber  clocks.  The  earliest  form 
in  which  they  were  made  was 
what  is  now  called  the  "bird- 
cage" or  "lantern"  clock.  In- 
ventories in  this  country  from 
1638  to  1700  speak  of  clocks 
with  valuations  varying  from  £2 
to  £20,  and  occasionally  a  "brass 
clock"  is  specified.  This  must  refer,  as  some  of 
the  others  may  also  have  done,  to  the  lantern  clock. 
The  lantern  clock  in  Illustration  339  is  owned  by 
William  Meggatt,  Esq.,  of  Wethersfield.  The  illus- 
tration shows  the  form  of  the  clock,  from  which  it  nat- 
urally derived  the  names  "lantern"  and  "bird-cage." 
The  clock  is  set  upon  a  bracket,   and  the  weights 

348 


Clocks 


349 


mA^f 


hang  upon  cords  or  chains  passing 
through  openings  in  the  shelf;  the 
pendulum  also  swings  through  a 
slit  in  the  shelf.  The  dial  projects 
beyond  the  frame  of  the  clock, 
and  is  six  inches  in  diameter,  and 
there  is  but  one  hand.  The  dome 
at  the  top  is  partially  concealed  by 
the  frets  above  the  body  of  the 
clock.  Different  clock-makers  had 
frets  of  their  own,  and  the  design 
of  the  fret  is  often  a  guide  for  de- 
termining the  date  of  such  clocks. 
The  one  upon  the  clock  in  Illus- 
tration 339  is  what  was  called  the 
"heraldic  fret"  from  the  small 
escutcheon  in  the  centre,  and  it 
was  used  upon  clocks  made  from 
1600  to  1640.  The  fret  with 
crossed  dolphins  was  in  use  from 
1650,  and  is  the  pattern  of  fret 
most  frequently  found  upon  these 
clocks.  The  long  pendulum  must 
have  been  a  later  substitution,  for 
it  was  not  commonly  used  until 
1680,  clocks  up  to  the  time  of  its 
invention  having  the  short  or 
"bob"  pendulum.  There  is  no 
maker's   name  upon  this  clock. 

Illustration    340   shows    a    "lan- 
tern" clock  in  the  house  of  Charles  R.  Waters,  Esq., 
which  has  a  fret  of  a  later  period,  and  the  long  pen- 


Illus.  339.  —  Lantern 
or  Bird-cage  Clock, 
First  Half  of  Seven- 
teenth Century. 


^'*it 


':^M 


:// 


lUus.  340.  —  Lantern  Clock, 
about  1680. 


Illus.  341.  — Friesland  Clock, 
Seventeenth  Century. 


Clocks 


351 


dulum.  The  dial  is  slightly  larger  than  the  one 
in  Illustration  339,  and  upon  it  is  engraved  the 
name  of  the  maker,  Jno.  Snatt,  Ashford.  This 
name  is  not  in  Britten's  list  of  clock-makers,  so  it  is 
probable  that  Jno.  Snatt  was  a  country  clock-maker. 
The  clock  was  made  about  1680.  The  brackets  are 
modern. 

A  clock  which  was  made  during  the  seventeenth 
century  is  shown  in  Illustration  341.  It  is  known 
as  a  Friesland  clock,  from  the  fact  that  clocks  of  this 
style  are  common  in  the  north  of  Holland,  having 
been  in  use  there  over  two  centuries.  The  pendu- 
lum of  this  clock  swings  above  the  shelf.  The 
frame  rests  upon  four  wooden  feet,  and  its  sides 
and  back  are  of  glass.  The  face  and  ornaments  are 
made  of  lead,  the  ornaments  being  gilded,  except 
the  parrots  at  each  side,  which  are  painted  in  vivid 
parrot  greens.  The  mermaids  upon  the  bracket  are 
painted  in  colors,  and  the  face  also  is  painted,  the 
whole  making  a  gay  bit  of  decoration.  The  Fries- 
land  clocks  generally  have  mermaids  and  parrots  as 
part  of  the  decoration  of  clock  and  bracket.  There 
is  a  small  brass  dial  in  the  centre  of  the  face,  which 
can  be  set  for  the  alarm.  Friesland  clocks  were  in 
use  in  the  seventeenth  century  in  this  country,  proba- 
bly having  been  brought  here  by  Dutch  settlers. 
This  clock  is  owned  by  the  writer. 

Bracket  clocks  were  made  during  the  last  years  of 
the  seventeenth  century  with  wooden  cases,  and  they 
were  very  popular  during  the  eighteenth  century. 
They  generally  have  a  brass  handle  at  the  top  by 
which  they  can  be  carried.     A  bracket  clock  with 


352 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


brass  face  and  sides  may  be  seen  upon  the  mantel  in 
Illustration  388.  It  has  the  plate  of  the  maker  over 
the  dial,  with  the  name  Daniel  Ray,  Sudbury,  proba- 
bly an  English  clock-maker.  This  clock  was  made 
about  1760. 

IHustration  342  shows  two  bracket  clocks  in  the 
collection  of  the  late  Major  Ben :  Perley  Poore.  The 
larger  one  has  the  top 
made  in  the  arch  form 
instead  of  the  bell  top 
like  the  clock  in  Illus- 
tration 388,  and  this 
would  place   its   date 


Illus.  342.  — Bracket  Clocks,  1780-1800. 


about  1780.  The  name  upon  this  clock,  George 
Beatty,  Georgetown,  was  that  of  the  owner.  The 
smaller  clock  has  an  inlaid  case,  and  was  evidently 
made  after  Sheraton's  designs  of  1 790-1 8cx>.  Both 
clock-cases  are  of  mahogany. 

The  earliest  mention  of  tall  clocks  in  inventories 


Clocks  353 

is  in  the  latter  part  of  the  seventeenth  century,  where 
they  are  always  spoken  of  as  "clock  and  case."  The 
use  of  the  long  pendulum  was  probably  the  cause 
of  the  development  of  the  tall  clock  from  the  "lan- 
tern clock,"  which  had  often  a  wooden  hood  over 
it;  and  when  the  long  pendulum  came  into  use  in 
1680,  the  lower  part  of  the  tall  clock-case  was  made 
to  enclose  the  pendulum,  and  sides  and  a  glass  front 
were  added  to  the  hood.  The  first  cases  were  of 
oak  or  walnut,  and  the  dials  were  square,  but  early 
in  the  eighteenth  century  the  arched  top  was  added 
to  the  dial,  suggested  perhaps  by  the  shape  of  the 
dome. 

The  ornaments  which  fill  in  the  spandrels,  or 
corners  of  the  face,  are  somewhat  of  a  guide  to  the 
date  of  a  brass-faced  clock.  The  earliest  spandrels 
had  cherubs'  heads  with  wings,  and  this  design  was 
used  from  1671  until  1700,  when  more  ornaments 
were  added  to  the  cherub's  head.  Later  came  a  still 
more  elaborate  design  of  two  cherubs  supporting  a 
crown,  until  about  1750,  when  the  scrolls  were  made 
without  the  cherubs,  but  with  a  shield  or  head  in  the 
centre  of  the  spandrel. 

Illustration  343  shows  two  tall  clocks  which  were 
owned  originally  by  Thomas  Hancock,  from  whom 
John  Hancock  inherited  them.  Thomas  Hancock 
was  a  wealthy  resident  of  Boston  in  1738  when  he 
wrote  thus  to  London,  ordering  a  clock  of  "the 
newest  fashion  with  a  good  black  Walnut  Tree  Case 
Veneered  work,  with  Dark,  lively  branches ;  on  the 
Top  instead  of  Balls  let  there  be  three  handsome 
Carv'd  figures.     Gilt  with  burnish'd  Gold.     I'd  have 


y^ 


Illus.  343.  —  Walnut  Case  and  Lacquered  Case  Clocks,  about   1738. 


Clocks  355 

the  Case  without  the  figures  to  be  lo  feet  Long,  the 
price  15  not  to  exceed  20  Guineas,  &  as  it's  for  my  own 
use,  I  beg  your  particular  Care  in  buying  of  it  at  the 
Cheapest  Rate.  I'm  advised  to  apply  to  one  Mr. 
Marmaduke  Storr  at  the  foot  of  Lond°    Bridge." 

Which  of  these  two  clocks  was  sent  to  fill  this  order 
we  cannot  tell.  The  clock  with  "Walnut  Tree 
Case  Veneered  work,  with  Dark,  lively  branches" 
has  the  name  plate  of  "Bowly,  London,"  probably 
Devereux  Bowley,  who  lived  from  1696  to  1773  and 
who  was  master  of  the  Clock-Makers'  Company  in 
1759.  The  gilt  ornaments  are  missing  from  the  top, 
so  we  do  not  know  whether  they  were  the  ones  so 
carefully  specified  in  the  letter.  Both  clocks  may 
date  to  1738.  The  clock  with  the  lacquered  case 
has  the  name  "Marm'^  Storr,  foot  of  London  Bridge," 
the  same  to  whom  Thomas  Hancock  had  "been  ad- 
vised to  apply."  This  clock  has  the  "Balls"  at  the 
top  to  which  he  objected.  Possibly  the  zealous  friend 
may  have  sent  both  clocks.  The  one  with  a  walnut 
case  is  now  owned  by  the  American  Antiquarian 
Society,  to  which  it  was  presented,  with  other  pieces 
bought  from  the  Hancock  house  in  1838,  by  John 
Chandler  of  Petersham.  The  clock  with  lacquered 
case  was  also  bought  from  the  Hancock  house,  and 
is  now  in  the  Boston  Museum  of  Fine  Arts,  to 
which  it  is  loaned  by  Miss  Lucy  Gray  Swett. 

A  clock-maker  well  known  in  and  around  Boston 
in  the  last  half  of  the  eighteenth  century  was  Gawen 
Brown,  who  had  a  shop  on  State  Street,  and  who 
made  the  clock  upon  the  Old  South  Church,  in  Bos- 
ton.    A  letter  is  still  preserved  which  he  wrote  asking 


356 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


permission  to  make  a  clock  for  the 
Society,  and  he  "Promises  and 
Engages  that  the  same  shall  be 
put  Up  and  con- 
tinued there  for- 
ever." This  hand- 
some offer  was 
made  in  1768  but 
not  until  1774  did 
the  town  act,  when 
they  voted  to 
"purchase  the 
Clock  of  Gawen 
Brown." 

A  Gawen  Brown 
clock  is  shown  in 
Illustration  344, 
made  for  his  father- 
in-law,  the  Rev. 
Mather  Byles. 
The  case  is  pine 
painted  and  the 
shape  of  the  top 
and  the  general 
appearance  would 
indicate  that  it 
was  an  early  eifort 
made  before  1768. 
It  is  still  running 
in  the  rooms  of  the  Bostonian  So- 
ciety, in  the  Old  State  House  in 
Boston. 


Illus.  344.  — Gawen 
Brown  Clock,  1765. 


Illus.  345.  — Tall 
Clock,  1780. 


A'.l 


lUus.  346.  — Maple 
Clock,   1770. 


lUus.  347.  —  Rittenhouse 
Clock,   1770. 


358  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

The  clock  in  Illustration  345  was  made  by  Gawen 
Brown,  and  is  in  a  very  handsome  mahogany  case. 
It  is  also  owned  by  the  Bostonian  Society. 

Illustration  346  shows  a  clock  owned  by  the 
writer,  and  is  given  as  an  example  of  the  use  of 
curly  maple,  of  which  the  entire  case  is  made.  It  is 
unusually  tall,  over  eight  feet  in  height. 

The  clock  in  Illustration  347  was  made  by  David 
Rittenhouse,  in  Philadelphia,  and  is  owned  by 
Charles  D.  Clark,  Esq.,  of  Philadelphia.  David 
Rittenhouse  was  a  maker  of  clocks  and  mathematical 
instruments,  and  an  astronomer.  He  held  various 
positions  of  importance,  and  was  State  Treasurer  of 
Pennsylvania  during  the  Revolutionary  war,  and 
President  of  The  American  Philosophical  Society. 
This  clock  has  a  very  handsome  case  of  mahogany 
with  fine  inlaying,  and  possesses  seven  dials.  The 
large  dial  has  three  hands,  two  for  the  hours  and 
minutes,  and  the  third  to  point  the  day  of  the  month. 
This  is  set  on  the  first  day  of  each  month.  At  the  two 
upper  corners  are  two  small  dials,  one  of  which  is 
set  to  designate  which  of  the  twelve  tunes  shall  be 
played,  and  the  other  has  on  it  "strike"  and  "silent," 
also  for  the  tunes.  Above,  the  moon  shows  its  phases 
and  the  sun  rises  and  sets  every  day.  Upon  the 
round  dial  below,  the  planets  revolve  around  the 
sun. 

Illustration  348  shows  a  tall  clock  in  a  mahogany 
case  made  about  1770.  The  maker's  name  is  Rich- 
ard Simestere,  Birmingham,  but  I  can  find  no  record 
of  him  in  Britten  or  elsewhere.  The  shape  of  the 
clock-case,  particularly  the  top,  is  modelled  after  a 


Clocks 


359 


Chippendale  design.  The  col- 
umns at  the  corners  of  the  case, 
sometimes  fluted  and  sometimes 
plain,  are  characteristic  of  Chip- 
pendale, and  appear  on  the  major- 
ity of  tall  clocks  made  after  1760. 
This  clock  is  owned  by  Francis 
H.  Bigelow,  Esq.,  of  Cambridge. 
After  the  War  of  the  Revo- 
lution enamelled  or  painted  dials 
took  the  place  of  brass  dials  in 
this  country,  to  a  great  extent, 
the  chief  reason  being,  of  course, 
their  smaller  cost.  The  works 
were  made  by  clock-makers  who 
sold  them  to  pedlers,  and  they 
took  them,  four  or  five  at  a  time, 
into  the  country  towns  to  sell ; 
the  local  cabinet-maker  made  the 
case,  while  the  local  clock-maker 
put  his  own  name  upon  the 
dial.  During  the  latter  years  of 
the  eighteenth  century,  there  was 
a  fashion  for  using  moving  fig- 
ures above  the  dial,  a  ship  heav- 
ing upon  the  waves  being  the 
favorite.  Many  clocks  have  a 
painted  moon,  which  rises  and 
sets  each  month.  Miniature  tall 
clocks  were  made  at  this  time, 
corresponding  in  proportions  to  m^^g,  343.  _ Tail  clock, 
the  tall  clocks.  about  1700. 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


^s/ 


^ 


Illustration  349  shows  a  tall 
clock  and  a  miniature  one,  both 
made  about  1800,  with  painted 
faces.  The  tall  clock  has  the 
name  upon  its  face  of  Philip 
Holway,  Falmouth.  The  case 
is  mahogany,  and  the  twisted 
pillars  have  brass  bases  and 
caps.  The  brass  ornaments 
upon  the  top  are  rather  un- 
usual, a  ball  with  three  sprays 
of  flowers.  The  clock  was 
bought  in  Falmouth  by  the 
writer.  The  small  clock  has 
the  name  of  Asa  Kenney  upon 
the  face.  Its  case  is  inlaid  with 
satinwood  and 
ebony.  This  lit- 
tle clock  belonged 
to  the  late  Sumner 
Pratt  of  Worces- 
ter, and  is  now 
owned  by  his 
daughter,  Miss  E. 
A.  Pratt. 

Illustration  350 
shows  a  clock 
owned  by  Mrs. 
E.    A.    Morse    of 


Illus.  349.  —  Miniature 
Clock  and  Tall  Clock, 
about  1800. 


Clocks 


361 


Worcester.  The  case  is  beauti- 
fully inlaid  with  satinwood, 
holly,  ebony,  and  two  varieties 
of  mahogany.  It  has  the  painted 
moon  above  the  dial,  and  plays 
seven  tunes  —  one  tune  being 
played  each  hour  during  the 
day.     The  tunes  are 

Hob  or  Knob, 
Heathen  Mythology, 
Bank  of  Flowers, 
Paddy  Whack, 
New  Jersey, 
Marquis  of  Granby, 
Amherst. 

Amherst  is  the  psalm  tune  which 
this  pious  clock  plays  upon  Sun- 
days, to  atone  for  the  rollick- 
ing jigs  which  are  tinkled  out 
upon  week-days.  All  of  the  tall 
clocks  illustrated  in  this  chapter 
have  brass  works,  but  many  were 
made  with  wooden  works,  and 
in  buying  a  clock  one  should 
make  sure  that  the  works  are 
of  brass. 

Illustration  351  shows  two 
sizes  of  a  kind  of  clock  occa- 
sionally found,  which  winds  by 
pulling  the  chain  attached  to 
the  weights.    These  clocks  were 


r^ 


•^ 


•      3.      s- 


Illus.  350.  — Tall  Clock, 
1800-1810. 


362 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


made  in  Europe;  the  smaller  one,  which  is  owned 
by  the  writer,  having  the  label  of  a  Swiss  clock- 
maker.     The  larger  clock  belongs  to  Irving  Bigelow, 

Esq.,  of  Worces- 
ter. Both  date  to 
the  first  quarter  of 
the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury. 

The  most  famous 
name  among  Amer- 
ican clock-makers  is 
Willard.  There 
were  three  Willard 
brothers,  —  Benja- 
min, Simon,  and 
Aaron,  —  clock- 
makers  in  Grafton, 
Massachusetts,  in 
1765.  Benjamin  and 
Simon  established  a 
business  in  Rox- 
bury,  and  in  De- 
cember, 1 77 1,  Ben- 
jamin advertised  in 
the  Boston  Evening 
Post  his  "removal 
from  Lexington  to 
Roxbury.  He  will 
sell  house  clocks  neatly  made,  cheaper  than  im- 
ported." February  22,  1773,  he  advertised  that  he 
"at  his  shop  in  Roxbury  Street,  pursues  the  differ- 
ent branches  of  clock  and  watch  work,  and  has  for 


lllus.  351.  — Wall  Clocks,   1800-1825. 


Clocks 


363 


sale  musical  clocks,  playing  different  tunes,  a  new 
tune  each  day,  and  on  Sunday  a  Psalm  tune.  These 
tunes  perform  every  hour.  .  .  .  All  the  branches 
of  the  business  likewise  carried  on  in  Grafton."  The 
third  brother,  Aaron,  may  have  remained  in  Graf- 
ton, for  he  went  from  there  later  to  Roxbury,  as 
fifer  of  a  company  of  minute-men,  in  the  first  days 
of  the  War  of  the  Revolution.  Simon  Willard  re- 
mained in  the  same  shop  in 
Roxbury  for  over  seventy 
years,  dying  in  1848  at  the 
great  age  of  ninety-six  years. 
Aaron  Willard  buiit  a  shop 
in  Boston  and  made  a  spe- 
cialty of  tall  striking  clocks. 
Illustration  352  shows  a 
clock  owned  by  Dr.  G.  Faulk- 
ner of  Jamaica  Plain.  Inside 
the  clock  is  written  in  a  quaint 
hand,  "The  first  short  time- 
piece made  in  America,  1784." 
Dr.  Faulkner's  father  was 
married  at  about  that  date, 
and  the  clock  was  made  for 
him.  It  has  always  stood 
upon  a  bracket  upon  the  wall, 
and  has  been  running  con- 
stantly for  one  hundred  and 
seventeen  years.  Upon  the 
scroll  under  the  dial  is  the  inscription  "Aaron  Wil- 
lard, Roxbury."  The  case  is  of  mahogany,  and 
stands  twenty-six  inches  high.     Upon  the  lower  part 


Illus.  352.  — Willard  Clock, 
1784. 


364 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


are  very  beautiful  scroll  feet,  turning  back.  The 
upper  part  stands  upon  ogee  feet,  and  can  be  lifted 
off.  The  glass  door  is  painted  so  that  it  forms  a 
frame  for  the  dial.     Mr.  Howard,  the  founder  of  the 


Illus.  353.  — Willard  Clocks,   18CX)-1815. 

Howard  Watch  Company,  has  told  me  that  the 
Willards  invented  this  style  of  clock  as  well  as 
the  style  known  as  the  banjo  clock.  Mr.  Howard 
was  born  in  181 3  and  when  he  was  sixteen  he  started 
to  learn  his  trade  in  Boston,  in  the  shop  of  Aaron 
Willard,   Jr.     I   have   not   been   able   to   find   that 


Clocks  365 

clocks  of  this  style  were  made  in  England  at  all, 
and  they  seem  to  be  purely  American,  but  in  Brit- 
ten's "Old  Clocks  and  Watches  and  their  Makers" 
is  an  illustration  of  an  astronomical  clock  made  by 
Henry  Jenkins,  1760  to  1780,  with  a  case  very  simi- 
lar in  shape  to  these  clocks,  and  with  a  top  like  the 
centre  one  of  the  three  in  Illustration  353.  Aaron 
Willard  may  have  obtained  his  idea  from  such  a 
clock.  The  clock  in  Illustration  352  is  the  earliest 
one  that  I  have  heard  of. 

Illustration  353  shows  three  clocks  made  some 
years  later,  probably  about  1800  to  181 5.  The  clock 
with  the  ogee  feet  is  a  Willard  clock,  and  belongs 
to  W.  S.  G.  Kennedy,  Esq.  The  clock  with  the 
door  of  bird's-eye  maple  and  the  inlaid  fan-shaped 
top  is  owned  by  Mrs.  E.  A.  Morse.  The  third 
clock  is  owned  by  the  writer. 

Another  New  England  clock-maker  of  long  and 
picturesque  life  was  Stephen  Hassam,  sometimes 
called  Hasham.  He  was  born  in  1761,  and  is  said  to 
have  lived  to  be  over  one  hundred  years  old.  He  was 
a  witness,  when  a  boy,  of  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill 
from  the  steeple  of  a  church  in  Boston,  and  he  lived 
until  after  the  beginning  of  the  Civil  War.  He 
moved  from  Boston  to  Grafton  and  then  to  Worces- 
ter, where  he  learned  the  clock-maker's  trade,  per- 
haps with  the  Willards  who  lived  in  those  towns  at 
about  that  time.  He  established  himself  finally  in 
Charlestown,  New  Hampshire,  where  he  lived  and 
made  clocks,  which  are  highly  valued  for  their  ex- 
cellent qualities,  as  well  as  for  the  associations 
with  the  name  of  the  centenarian  clock-maker. 


366 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


A  clock  similar  in  size,  and  also  in  design,  to  the 
last   four   illustrated   is   shown   in   Illustration   354. 

It  was  made  by  Stephen 
Hassam  and  bears  his  name. 
It  is  owned  by  Charles  H. 
Morse,  Esq.,  and  has  always 
stood  since  it  was  made, 
about  i8cx>,  upon  a  mahog- 
any bracket  in  the  corner. 
The  case  is  of  very  finely 
grained  mahogany. 

Simon  Willard  patented 
in  1802  an  improved  time- 
piece, which  Mr.  Howard 
says  is  the  clock  now  known 
as  the  "banjo"  clock.  Il- 
lustration 355  shows  a  clock 
bought  by  the  writer  in  a 
country  town  from  an  old 
man  who  called  it  a  time- 
piece, which  is  the  name 
given  it  in  the  country, 
"banjo"  being  suggested  to 
the  modern  mind  by  the 
shape  of  the  upper  part. 
The  sides  of  the  clock  are 
of  mahogany.  The  glass 
door  to  the  face  is  convex 
and  is  framed  in  brass,  and 
the  ornaments  at  the  sides 
of  the  clock  are  also  of  brass.  The  long  glass  in 
the  middle  of  the  case  is  framed  like  the  door  of 


Illus.  354. 


■Hassam  Clock, 
1800. 


illus.  355.  — "Banjo"  Clock,    1802-1820. 


368 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


painted  glass  in  wood  gilt.     The  turned   ornament 

on  the  top  of  the  clock  and  the  bracket  below  it 
are  of  wood  gilt.  Plainer  clock- 
cases  of  this  shape  were  of  mahogany 
without  the  bracket  below. 

Aaron    Willard,   Jr.,   entered    his 
father's  employ  in  his  shop  in  Boston 
in  1823,  and  continued  the  business 
for  forty  years.   When 
one     considers      that 
members  of  this  family 
manufactured    clocks 
for  over  one  hundred 
years,  it  does  not  seem 
singular  that  so  many 
clocks  are  found  with 
the  name  of   Willard 
upon  them. 

Occasionally  one 
finds  a  banjo  clock 
with  striking  attach- 
ment, but  they  are 
not  common. 
Illustration  356  shows  a  clock  called 

a  presentation  or  marriage  clock.     It 

is  owned  by  Dwight  M.  Prouty,  Esq., 

of  Boston,   and  it  was  made  for  an 

ancestor  of  Mr.  Prouty,  when  he  was 

married,    as     a    wedding    gift.     The 

decorations  are  in  light  colors,   pink 

and  blue  with  gold,   very  delicate  and  suitable  for 

a  bride.     Upon  the  square  glass  door,  painted  above 


Illus.  356.  —  Presen 
tation  Clock. 


Illus.  357.  — Wil- 
lard Timepiece. 


Clocks 


369 


the  centre  Is  "S.  Willard"  and  below 
it  "Patent."     The  bracket  is  gilt. 

Illustration  357  shows  another 
Willard  timepiece,  with  a  ma- 
hogany case  and  gilt  mouldings  and 
bracket.  Upon  the  door  is  painted 
the  battle  between  the  Constitu- 
tion and  Guerriere.  The  name  A. 
Willard  is  painted  upon  the  long 
glass.  This  clock  belongs  to  Fran- 
cis H.  Bigelow,  Esq. 

The     clock     in 


Illus.  359.  — Lyre 
Clock,   1810-1820. 

2  B 


Illustration  358 
has  the  name 
Willard  upon  the 
face.  The  case 
is  mahogany,  and 
the  mouldings 
which  frame  the 
glass  and  the 
bracket  beneath 
the  clock  are  ja- 
panned in  colors. 
It  belongs  to 
Charles  A.  Mof- 
fett,  Esq.,  of  Worcester. 

The  clock  in  Illustration  359 
is  of  an  entirely  different  style, 
and  the  case,  the  lower  part  of 
which  is  lyre  shaped,  is  very 
beautifully  carved  with  scrolls, 
which  are  finished  in  gilt.     There 


Illus.  358.— Willard 
Timepiece,  1802- 
1810. 


370  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

is  no  maker's  name  upon  this  clock,  which  belongs 

to  Frank  C.  Turner,  Esq.,  of  Norwich. 

The  clock  in  Illustration  360  is  in  the  lyre  shape 

usually  seen,  which  was  made  as  a  variation  from 
the  banjo.  Such  clocks  are  found 
of  wood  finished  in  gilt,  or  like  this 
clock,  in  the  natural  wood,  which 
is  mahogany  in  most  cases.  The 
carving  is  generally  in  the  same 
design,  but  some  have  the  lyre 
strings,  made  of  wood  or  brass. 

Eli  Terry  was  the  first  of  another 
famous  family  of  American  clock- 
makers.  He  started  in  business  in 
1793,  in  Plymouth,  near  Waterbury, 
Connecticut,  a  town  well  known  ever 
since  for  its  clocks  and  watches.  His 
first  clock  was  made  a  year  earlier,  a 
wooden  clock  in  a  long  case  with  a 

lllus.  360.  — Lyre-   brass  dial,  silver  washed.     He  manu- 

^8X182?°''^'  ^^^^^^^^  ^^^  works  for  tall  clocks,  sell- 
ing them  to  pedlers,  who  took  them 
into  the  country  to  dispose  of.  In  18 10  Seth 
Thomas  with  Silas  Hoadly  bought  the  Terry  fac- 
tory, and  continued  the  manufacture  of  clocks  for 
long  cases.  Eli  Terry  in  18 14  invented  a  wooden 
shelf-clock,  called  "The  Pillar  Scroll  Top  Case, 
with  pillars  21  inches  long  resting  on  a  square  base, 
dial  II  inches  square,  table  below  dial  7  inches  by 
II."  This  clock  sold  for  fifteen  dollars,  and  was 
made  in  enormous  quantities.  Illustration  361 
shows  two  clocks,  one  an  Eli  Terry  "Pillar  Scroll 


Clocks 


371 


Top"  clock,  with  carved  pillars  similar  to  the  ones 
upon  pieces  of  furniture  of  that  period.  The  other 
clock  was  made  by  Terry  at  about  the  same  time. 
Inside  each  of  these  clocks  is  pasted  a  paper  upon 
which   is   printed   the   following;    "Patent    Clocks, 


lUus.  361.  — Eli  Terry  Shelf  Clocks,    1824. 

invented  by  Eli  Terry,  Plymouth,  Connecticut. 
Warranted  if  well  used.  N.B.  The  public  may 
be  assured  that  this  kind  of  Clock  will  run  as  long 
without  repairs  and  be  as  durable  and  accurate  for 
keeping  time  as  any  kind  of  Clock  whatever." 
These  clocks  are  owned  by  D.  Thomas  Moore, 
Esq.,  of  Westbury,  Long  Island. 


Illus.  362.  — French  Clock,  about  1800. 


Clocks  373 

From  the  time  when  such  mantel  clocks  were 
manufactured  in  great  numbers,  the  fact  that  they 
were  cheap  and  good  time-keepers  put  the  tall  clock 
out  of  the  market,  and  its  manufacture  practically- 
died  out  soon  after,  so  that  but  few  tall  clocks  were 
made  later  than  i8i 5-1820. 

Illustration  362  shows  a  French  clock  with  onyx 
pillars,  and  elaborate  Empire  brasses.  The  large 
ornaments  at  the  side  of  the  dial  are  of  wood  gilt. 
The  middle  of  the  dial  is  occupied  by  a  beautifully 
wrought  design  in  brass,  of  an  anvil  and  grindstone, 
each  with  a  little  Cupid.  Upon  the  quarter-hour 
one  Cupid  sharpens  his  arrow  at  the  grindstone, 
running  the  grindstone  with  his  foot  upon  a  treadle, 
and  at  every  hour  the  other  Cupid  strikes  the  anvil 
with  his  hammer  the  necessary  number  of  strokes. 
A  brass  figure  of  a  youth  with  a  bow  stands  below 
the  dial,  in  front  of  the  mirror  in  the  back  of  the 
clock.  The  base  is  of  black  marble.  I  have  seen 
several  clocks  similar  with  the  onyx  pillars,  but  none 
with  such  beautiful,  hand-wrought  brass  in  the  face 
and  upon  the  case. 


CHAPTER  XII 

LOOKING-GLASSES 


A 


STRONG      distinction 
was   made   in  America 
during  the  seventeenth 
and      eighteenth     cen- 
turies between  mirrors  and  look- 
ing-glasses;   the  name  "mirror" 
was  applied  to  a  particular  kind 
of  glass,  either  convex  or  concave, 
and  one  old  authority  states  that 
"a   mirror   is    a    circular  convex 
glass  in  a  gilt  frame." 

Looking-glasses  appear  in  in- 
ventories in  this  country  as 
early  as  1650,  and  in  1658  Will- 
iam Bartlett  of  Hartford  left 
no  less  than  ten,  the  dearest 
valued   at  one   pound. 

In  1670  the  Duke  of  Buckingham  brought  Vene- 
tian workmen  to  England,  and  established  glass 
works  in  Lambeth ;  but  up  to  that  date  the  looking- 
glasses  occasionally  mentioned  in  inventories  must 
have  been  made  in  Venice.  Some  of  the  records 
are  "a  great  looking  glass,"  —  "looking  glass  with 
brasses,"  —  "great  looking  glass  of  ebony,"  —  "an 
olive  wood  diamond  cut  looking  glass,"  —  and  "a 

374 


Looking-glasses 


375 


looking  glass  with  a  walnut  tree  frame."  The  glass 
usually  had  the  edge  finished  with  a  slight  bevel- 
ling about  an  inch 
wide,  made  by  hand,  of 
course,  which  followed 
the  outline  of  the  inside 
of  the  frame. 

Hungerford  Pollen,  in 
"Furniture  and  Wood- 
work," says  :  "  The 
looking-glasses  made  in 
the  seventeenth  and 
eighteenth  centuries 
.  .  .  had  the  plates 
finished  by  an  edge 
gently  bevelled,  of  an 
inch  in  width,  following 
the  form  of  the  frame, 
whether  square  or 
shaped  in  curves.  It  is 
of  great  difficulty  in 
execution,  the  plate  be- 
ing held  by  the  work- 
man over  his  head,  and 
the  edges  cut  by  grind- 
ing. .  .  .  The  angle  of 
the"  (modern)  "bevel  is 
generally  too  acute, 
whereby  the  prismatic 
light  produced  by  this 
portion  of  the  mirror  is  in  too  violent  and  showy 
contrast  to  the  remainder." 


Illus.  363.  — Looking-glass,  1690. 


376 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


One  can  always  distinguish  an  old  bevel,  by- 
rubbing  the  finger  upon  it.  The  bevel  is  so  slight 
that  it  can  hardly  be  felt,  where  the  modern  bevel 
is  sharp  and  distinct. 

Looking-glasses  of  large  size  were  made  in  two 
sections,  the  lower  piece  with  the  edge  bevelled  and 

lapped  over  the  plain 
upper  piece.  This 
was  to  avoid  the  tax 
upon  glass  beyond  a 
certain  size. 

The  fashion  for 
japanningor  lacquer- 
ing which  obtained 
vogue  at  the  close  of 
the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury was  followed  in 
looking-glass  frames. 
A  London  newspaper 
of  1689  thus  adver- 
tised :  "Several  sorts 
of  Screwtores, Tables, 
Stands  and  Looking- 
glasses  of  Japan  and 
other  work." 
Illustration  363  shows  a  looking-glass  in  a  japanned 
frame,  owned  by  D wight  M.  Prouty,  Esq.,  of  Boston. 
The  wood  of  the  frame  is  walnut,  and  it  is  covered 
with  lacquer  in  gold  and  colors.  The  shape  of  the 
frame  around  the  glass  is  followed  by  the  bevel, 
and  the  lower  piece  of  glass  laps  over  the  upper. 
Illustration  364  shows  the  top  section  of  a  look- 


Illus.  364.  — Looking-glass,   1690. 


Looking-glasses  377 

ing-glass  with  a  lacquered  frame.  In  this  case  the 
frame  was  made  in  sections,  the  lower  section  being 
lost.  The  curves  in  the  frame  are  followed  in  the 
glass  by  the  old  shallow  bevelling  over  an  inch  in 
width,  and  a  star  is  cut  in  the  middle  of  the  glass. 
The  frame  is  elaborately  japanned  with  gold  and 
bright  colors,  and  is  twenty-six  inches  in  height, 
showing  that  the  looking-glass,  when  whole,  was  of 
generous  size.  The  design  of  the  sawed  edge  is  of  a 
very  early  style.  The  glass  is  owned  by  the  American 
Antiquarian  Society,  of  Worcester. 

The  looking-glass  at  the  head  of  this  chapter  is 
owned  by  E.  R.  Lemon,  Esq.,  of  the  Wayside  Inn. 
It  is  of  walnut  veneer,  and  the  old  bevelled  glass 
is  in  two  sections,  the  upper  one  cut  in  a  design, 
and  with  the  lower  edge  lapped  over  the  other  piece 
of  glass.  Another  glass  of  the  same  period,  the 
first  quarter  of  the  eighteenth  century,  owned  by 
Mr.  Lemon,  heads  Chapter  XI.  This  frame  has  a 
top  ornament  of  a  piece  of  walnut  sawed  in  curves 
which  suggest  those  upon  later  frames. 

Such  a  looking-glass  as  this  was  probably  what 
Judge  Sewall  meant  when  he  sent  for  "A  True 
Looking  Glass  of  Black  Walnut  Frame  of  the  New- 
est Fashion  (if  the  Fashion  be  good)  as  good  as  can 
be  bought  for  five  or  six  pounds."  This  was  for 
wedding  furniture  for  the  judge's  daughter  Judith, 
married  in  1720. 

A  looking-glass  of  the  same  date,  with  a  carved 
wood  frame,  silvered,  heads  Chapter  VI.  It  was 
originally  owned  by  an  ancestor  of  the  late  Major 
Ben :    Perley    Poore,    and   was    probably   made   in 


378 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Europe.     It  has  always,  within  the  memory  of  the 
family,  been  silvered,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  it  was 

so  originally.  The 
carving  is  rather 
crudely  done,  the 
ornament  at  the 
top  containing  a 
bird  which  is  sit- 
ting upon  a 
cherub's  head. 
This  glass  is  now 
at  Indian  Hill, 
Newburyport. 

In  nothing  is 
the  charm  of  asso- 
ciation more  po- 
tent than  in  an 
old  looking-glass, 
when  one  con- 
siders the  faces 
and  scenes  that 
have  b.een  re- 
flected in  it.  Il- 
lustration 365 
shows  a  looking- 
glass  which  hung 
in  the  Schuyler 
mansion  at  Still- 
water, New  York, 
in  which  Wash- 
ington stopped 
lUus.  365.  — Looking-glass,  about  1730.       over   night;    and 


Looking-glasses  379 

although  the  quicksilver  is  somewhat  worn  off  the 
back  of  the  glass,  the  thought  that  it  must  have 
mirrored  the  face  of  Washington  preserves  it  from 
being  restored.  The  shape  is  extremely  graceful, 
and  the  outline  of  the  inside  of  the  frame  is  followed 
by  little  scrolls  cut  in  the  glass.  The  frame  is  carved 
in  wood,  and  gilt,  and  was  probably  made  in  Italy 
about  1730.  It  is  now  owned  by  the  writer.  The 
low-boy  in  the  illustration  is  described  upon  page  39. 

Rococo  and  Chinese  designs  were  rampantly 
fashionable  in  frames  for  looking-glasses  from  1750 
to  1780.  They  present  an  astonishing  combination 
of  Chinese  pagodas,  shells,  flowers,  branches,  animals, 
and  birds,  with  occasionally  a  figure  of  a  man  or 
woman  considerably  smaller .  than  the  flowers  and 
birds  upon  the  same  frame. 

Some  of  the  famous  designers  of  frames  were 
Matthias  Lock,  who  published  "A  Book  New  of 
Pier  Frames,  Oval  Girandoles,  Tables,  etc.,"  in 
1765;  Edwards  and  Darley;  and  Thomas  Johnson; 
besides  the  better-known  cabinet-makers  Ince.  and 
Mayhew  and  Chippendale.  Lock  and  Johnson 
devoted  much  space  to  frames  for  girandoles,  pier 
glasses,  ovals,  and  chimney-pieces,  all  elaborately 
carved  with  scrolls  and  shells  with  dripping  water, 
birds,  and  animals  of  every  sort  from  a  monkey  to  a 
cow,  the  latter  unromantic  and  heavy  creature  figur- 
ing upon  a  dripping  scroll  in  one  of  Johnson's  frames. 

Illustration  366  shows  a  looking-glass  of  the  size 
which  was  called  a  "pier"  glass,  which  must  have 
been  made  about  1760.  It  is  carved  in  walnut,  and 
the  natural  wood  has  never  been  stained  or  gilt.     It 


Illus.  366.  — Pier  Glass  in  "Chinese  Taste,"  1760. 


Looking-glasses  381 

presents  many  of  the  characteristic  designs  fashion- 
able at  that  time,  of  scrolls  and  dripping  water, 
while  no  less  than  seven  pagoda  roofs  form  a  part 
of  the  frame.  The  figure,  probably  a  Chinese  lady 
with  a  parasol,  is  missing  from  the  pagoda  at  the 
top.  Below  the  frame  is  carved  a  little  monkey 
sitting  in  the  lower  scroll.  The  frame  is  rather 
unusual  in  having  side  branches  for  candles.  This 
looking-glass  and  the  one  in  the  following  illus- 
tration are  owned  by  Mrs.  Charles  Barrell  of  Bar- 
rell's  Grove,  York  Corner,  Maine,  and  are  in  the 
old  Barrell  house,  which  stands  with  its  original 
furniture,  as  it  stood  one  hundred  and  fifty  years 
ago.  These  looking-glasses  were  bought  by  a  Bar- 
rell ancestor  at  an  auction  in  London,  about  1795. 
The  articles  sold  at  this  auction  were  the  furnish- 
ings of  one  of  the  households  of  the  Prince  of 
Wales,  which  was,  temporarily  at  least,  given  up 
by  him  upon  his  marriage,  and  these  glasses  have 
reflected  many  a  gay  scene  in  which  the  "First 
gentleman  in  Europe"  figured,  while  Beau  Brum- 
mel  may  have  used  them  to  arrange  the  wonderful 
toilettes  which  won  him  his  name.  What  a  change 
to  the  little  Maine  village  ! 

Another  looking-glass  of  carved  wood,  with  the 
same  history,  is  shown  in  Illustration  367.  This 
frame  is  gilded,  and  possesses  none  of  the  Chinese 
designs  of  the  other  frame,  but  is  purely  rococo.  It 
has  the  old  glass  with  bevelled  edges.  Both  of 
these  looking-glasses  must  have  been  made  at  least 
twenty-five  years  before  the  time  when  they  were 
sold  at  auction  by  the  royal  bridegroom. 


382 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


At  the  head  of  Chapter  V  is  shown  a  looking- 
glass  with  a  frame  of  white  with  gilt  ornaments. 
It  formerly  belonged  to  Governor  Wentworth,  and 


Illus.  367.  —  Looking-glass,  about  1760. 


is  now  in  the  Poore  collection  at  Indian  Hill.  It  is 
similar  in  design  and  decoration  to  the  looking- 
glasses  seen  in  French  palaces,  and  was  probably 
made  in  France  about  1760. 


Looking-glasses 


383 


A  charming  oval  looking-glass  which  might  be 
of  the  present  latest  fashion  forms  the  heading  to 
Chapter  III.  It  has  the  flowing  ribbon  bow-knot 
which  Chippendale 
employed,  and  which 
has  been  fashionable 
ever  since.  This 
looking-glass  was 
made  about  1770, 
and  was  inherited  by 
Miss  H.  P.  F.  Burn- 
side  of  Worcester 
from  her  great-grand- 
mother. 

Illustration  368 
shows  a  fine  looking- 
glass  with  a  frame  of 
carved  wood.  There 
is  a  small  oval  medal- 
lion below  the  frame 
with  emblems  of 
Freemasonry  in  gilt 
upon  a  black  ground. 
A  large  medallion  is 
above  the  glass,  with 
Cupids  painted  upon 
a  black  ground,  and 
the  frame  is  sur- 
mounted by  an  eagle. 
This  looking-glass  is 
owned  byMrs. Charles 

R.    Waters    of   Salem.     Illus.  368.  — Looking-glass,   1770-1780. 


384 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Illus.  369.  —  Looking-glass, 
1725-1750. 


'  Another    of    the 
same  period,  with 
a      carved      wood 
frame,  is  shown  at 
the    beginning    of 
Chapter  IV.    This 
frame  hasaclassical 
.design  of  garlands 
of   laurel   with   an 
urn     at    the     top. 
^''^^^    The      small      oval 
medallion    at    the 
base    of    both    of 
these  frames  seems 
to  be  a  feature  of 
such        loo  kin  g- 
:;^^     glasses,    together 
with   the   garlands 
of     carved     wood. 
This    looking-glass 
is    owned    by    the 
writer.     Upon     its 
back     is     an     oak 
board  which  must 
have    been    prized 
highly,   for   it   has 
been    carefully   re- 
paired    with     two 
patches  of  wood  set 
into  it. 

Illustration    369 
shows    a    looking- 


Looking-glasses  385 

glass  made  In  the  first  half  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
of  walnut.  The  gilt  mouldings  are  carved  in  wood, 
as  are  the  gilt  leaves  and  flowers  at  the  side.  The 
waving  line  of  the  inside  of  the  frame  is  followed  in 
the  bevelling  of  the  glass.  Glasses  of  this  period 
were  usually  made  in  two  pieces,  to  lessen  the  ex- 
pense, the  edge  of  one  piece  of  glass  being  simply 
lapped  over  the  other.  This  looking-glass  is  unusu- 
ally large,  seven  and  one-half  feet  high  and  three 
feet  wide.  It  is  now  owned  by  the  Philadelphia 
Library  Association,  and  was  used  in  1778  at  the 
famous  Mischianza  fete,  where  probably  the  lovely 
Peggy  Shippen  and  the  beautiful  Jewess,  Rebecca 
Frank,  and  perhaps  the  ill-fated  Andre,  used  the 
glass  to  put  the  finishing  touches  to  their  toilettes, 
or  to  repair  the  damages  wrought  during  the  gay 
dances  of  that  historic  ball. 

A  looking-glass  showing  the  development  from 
the  one  in  Illustration  369  may  be  seen  in  Illustra- 
tion 26  upon  page  39.  The  frame  is  more  elaborate 
than  the  older  one  in  its  curves  and  in  the  pedi- 
ment with  the  broken  arch,  and  its  date  is  about 
1770.  The  original  glass  is  gone,  so  we  cannot  tell 
if  it  was  bevelled,  but  it  probably  was.  This  very 
fine  frame  came  from  the  Chase  mansion  in  Annapo- 
lis, and  is  now  owned  by  Harry  Harkness  Flagler, 
Esq.,  of  Millbrook,  New  York. 

Another  looking-glass  owned  by  Mr.  Flagler  is 
shown  in  Illustration  370.  The  frame  is  of  walnut 
veneer,  and  the  shape  of  the  glass  without  any  curves 
at  the  top,  and  the  garlands  at  the  side  more  finely 
modelled  and  strung  upon  a  wire,  determine  it  to 


386 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


have  been  made  some  years  later  than  the  frame  in 

Illustration  369. 

A  looking-glass  with  a  mahogany  and  gilt  frame, 

owned  by  the 
writer,  is  shown  in 
the  heading  to 
Chapter  IX.  This 
looking-glass  dates 
between  the  last 
two  described ;  the 
curved  form  of  the 
upper  edge  of  the 
glass  in  Illustration 
26  leaving  a  slight 
reminder  in  the  cut- 
off, upper  corners 
of  this  glass,  which 
vanishes  in  the 
square  corners  of 
the  one  in  Illustra- 
tion 370.  The  gar- 
lands at  each  side 
are  carved  from 
wood,  without  wire. 
These  looking- 
glasses  are  now  re- 
produced in  large 
numbers  and  are 
sometimes       called 


Illus.  370.  — Looking-glass,   1770-1780. 


Washington  glasses,  from  the  fact  that  one  hangs 
upon  the  wall  in  a  room  at  Mount  Vernon. 

A  very  unusual  looking-glass  is  shown  in  Illus- 


Looking-glasses 


387 


tratlon     371,     a     long 
mantel      looking-glass 
of    very     early     date, 
probably      not      later 
than  1750.     The  glass 
is  made  in  three  sec- 
tions,    the     two     end 
sections   being   lapped 
over   the   middle   one. 
The    glasses    are    not 
bevelled.      Short    gar- 
lands carved  in  wood 
are    upon     the     sides, 
and    the    moulding 
around    the     glass    is 
made  in  curves,  while 
the  upper    and    lower 
edges  of  the  frame  are 
perfectly   straight.     A 
glimpse  may  be  caught 
above  the  frame  of  the 
two    pieces    of    metal 
fastened   to  the  back, 
which  are  found  upon 
such    frames,    with    a 
hole    for    a    screw    to 
fasten  the  heavy  frame 
to     the     wall.       This 
looking-glass     belongs 
to  Dwight  M.  Prouty, 
Esq. 

The    looking-glasses 


388 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


in  Illustrations  372  and 
373  also  belong  to  Mr. 
Prouty.  Glasses  of  this 
style  are  not  uncommon. 
They  are  never  large,  and 
as  they  are  always  about 
the  same  size,  they  must 


Illus.  372.— Looking-glass,  1770. 

have  been  made  for  a  cer- 
tain purpose,  or  to  follow 
a  certain  fashion.  The 
decorations  vary,  but  are 
always  applied  in  gilt  upon 
the  high  top  above  the 
frame,  and  upon  the  piece 
below,  while  the  sides  are 
straight  and  plain. 


Illus.  373.  — Looking-glass,    1770. 


Illus.  374.  — Looking-glass,   1776. 


390 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Illustration 
glass    in    the 


lllus.  375.  — Looking-glass,   1780. 


374  shows  a  beautiful  looking- 
Chase  mansion  in  Annapolis.  It 
is  carved  in  wood 
and  gilt,  and  four 
pieces  of  glass  are 
set  in  the  frame, 
which  is  surmounted 
by  the  eagle  hold- 
ing a  shield  with 
stars  and  stripes. 

Illustration  375 
shows  a  very  large 
looking-glass,  from 
the  Ogle  house  in 
Annapolis.  It  is 
finished  in  white 
and  gold  and  has 
the  original  bevelled 
glass. 

The  looking-glass 
which  heads  Chap- 
ter XIII  is  in  the 
Metropolitan  Mu- 
seum   of    Art    and 


is  of  the  same  period  as  the  glass  in  Illustration  371. 
A  looking-glass  is  shown  in  the  heading  to  Chap- 
ter VIII  in  which  the  decoration  is  produced  by 
both  carving  and  sawing,  as  well  as  by  gilt  orna- 
ments. The  sawing  of  ornamental  outlines  appears 
upon  the  earliest  frames,  such  as  Illustration  364, 
and  is  found  upon  frames  made  during  the  eigh- 
teenth century  until  its  close. 


Looking-glasses  391 

During  the  last  quarter  of  the  eighteenth  century 
frames  which  are  apparently  a  cheaper  form  of 
the  mahogany  and  gilt  looking-glasses  described, 
were  most  popular,  and  are  commonly  found. 
These  frames  are  veneered  with  mahogany  or  wal- 
nut, and  are  sawed  in  outlines  similar  to  those 
of  the  richer  frames  of  walnut  or  mahogany  and 
gilt.  The  inside  of  the  frame  next  the  glass  has 
a  narrow  hand-carved  gilt  moulding,  and  there  is 
sometimes  a  gilt  bird  flying  through  the  opening 
sawed  in  the  upper  part  of  the  frame,  while  in 
other  frames  the  opening  is  partially  filled  by  three 
feathers,  a  conventional  shell,  or  a  flower  in  gilt. 
Occasionally  a  line  of  inlaying  follows  the  gilt 
moulding  next  the  glass.  In  smaller  looking-glasses 
a  gilded  plaster  eagle  was  glued  upon  the  frame 
above  the  glass.  Such  frames  may  be  found,  or 
rather  might  have  been  found,  in  almost  any  old 
house. 

Illustration  376  shows  two  of  these  looking- 
glasses.  The  larger  glass  is  owned  by  the  writer, 
the  smaller  by  W.  S.  G.  Kennedy,  Esq.,  of 
Worcester. 

A  looking-glass  with  some  variations  from  those 
previously  shown  forms  the  heading  to  Chapter  X. 
The  lower  part  of  the  frame  has  the  sawed  out- 
lines which  appear  upon  so  many,  while  the  upper 
part  has  a  broken  arch  cornice  of  a  high  and  slender 
design,  showing  the  influence  of  the  lighter  Hepple- 
whlte  styles.  A  colored  shell  is  Inlaid  in  the  top  of 
this  frame,  and  there  are  two  rows  of  fine  inlaying 
around  the  glass.     The  frame  is  surmounted  by  an 


392  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

urn  or  vase  with  flowers  and  stalks  of  wheat,  upon 
wires,  like  the  slender  garlands  at  the  sides.     This 


Illus.  376.  —  Looking-glasses,  1750-1790. 

looking-glass    belongs    to    H.    H.    Kohn,    Esq.,    of 
Albany. 

Illustration  377  shows  another  looking-glass  of 
the  same  style,  with  the  wheat  and  flowers  upon 
wires  springing  from  an  urn  at  the  top,  and  leaves 
of  plaster  strung  upon  wires  at  the  sides. 


Looking-glasses 


393 


Illustration  378  shows  a  looking-glass  carved 
and  sawed  in  fantastic  outlines,  with  ribbons  at 
the  sides.  These  two  looking-glasses  are  in  the 
Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art. 


lUus.  377.  —  Looking-glass, 
1790. 


lUus.  378.  —  Looking-glass,   1780. 


Wooden  frames  with  sawed  outlines  continued  fash- 
ionable until  the  close  of  the  century. 


394 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


^    i^ 


It  was  customary  for  these  mahogany-framed 
glasses  to  rest  upon  two  mirror  knobs,  which  fitted 
into  the  lower  curves  of  the  frame  and  were  screwed 

into  the  wall.  These 
knobs  were  sometimes 
made  of  brass,  but  the 
most  fashionable  mirror 
knobs  were  those  with 
a  medallion,  round  or 
oval,  of  Battersea  en- 
amel upon  copper, 
framed  in  brass.  The 
design  of  the  medallions 
varied,  heads  of  histori- 
cal personages  being 
very  popular,  while  flow- 
ers, landscapes,  fancy 
heads,  the  eagle  and 
thirteen  stars,  and  the 
ever-favorite  design  of 
the  monument  and 
weeping  willow  appear 
in  the .  bright  tints  of 
the  enamel.  Dwight 
Blaney,  Esq.,  of  Boston, 
has  a  collection  of  over 
one  hundred  knobs. 
Washington,  Lafayette,  Franklin,  Lord  Nelson  are 
some  of  the  heads  found  upon  mirror  knobs.  Four 
pairs  of  enamelled  knobs,  owned  by  the  writer,  ap- 
pear in  Illustration  379.  The  head  of  Lord  Nelson 
figures  upon  one  pair. 


Illus.  379. —  Enamelled  Mirror 
Knobs,   1770-1790. 


Looking-glasses 


395 


'*A  circular  convex  glass  in  a  gilt  frame"  is  shown 
in  Illustration  380.  Such  glasses  were  advertised  as 
"mirrors,"  in  distinction  from  the  looking-glasses 
which  were  in  ordinary  use,  and  they  were  sold  in 
pairs,  for  sconces, 
the  convex  or 
occasionally  con- 
cave glass  pre- 
cluding the  possi- 
bility of  its  use  for 
a  literal  looking- 
glass,  as  any  per- 
son will  agree  who 
has  caught  in  one 
a  glimpse  of  a  dis- 
torted reflection 
of  face  or  figure. 

These  mirrors 
were  fashionable 
during  the  last 
quarter  of 
eighteenth 
tury,  and  : 
made  in  various 
sizes,  from  twelve 
inches  in  diameter 
to  three  feet.  The 
eagle  forined  the 
most  popular  orna'ment  for  the  top,  but  many  were 
made  with  a  winged  horse,  or  a  sort  of  dragon, 
instead  of  the  eagle.  These  mirrors  were  called 
girandoles,   like  others  with  branches  for  candles. 


the 
cen- 
were 


Illus.  380.  —  Girandole,   1770-1780. 


396 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


The  girandole  in  Illustration  380  is  owned  by  the 
Albany  Historical  Society. 


Illus.  381.  — Looking-glass,   1780. 

The    looking-glass    in    Illustration    381     belongs 
to  the  writer,  and  is  in  the  same  style  as  the  glass 


Looking-glasses 


397 


at  the  head  of  Chap- 
ter IV,  which  is  de- 
scribed upon  page 
384.  The  garlands 
upon  this  frame  are 
carved  in  fruit,  grapes 
and  plums  with 
leaves,  instead  of  the 
laurel  which  is  gener- 
ally the  design,  and 
the  medallion  above 
the  frame  has  a 
classic  head  in  pro- 
file, and  is  sur- 
mounted by  a  ribbon 
bow-knot  of  three 
loops.  The  glass  is 
of  quite  a  large  size. 
Illustration  382 
shows  a  looking-glass 
owned  by  Mrs.  Will- 
iam Preston  of  Rich- 
mond, Virginia.  The 
upper  section  of  the 
glass  is  divided  from 
the  lower  by  a  gilt 
moulding,  and  is 
delicately  painted,  in 
black  and  gold  upon 
a  white  ground,  with 
three  panels,  the  middle  one  having  a  classical 
design.       The    pyramid-shaped    pieces    at    the    top 


Illus.  382.  — Looking-glass,   1790. 


398 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


are  of  painted  glass  and  from  them  go  chains,  held 

by  an  eagle  above. 

Illustration  383  shows  a  large  and  handsome 
looking-glass  made  in  the 
fashion  of  Hepplewhite's 
designs,  the  fan-shaped 
ornament  below  the  glass 
being  quite  characteristic  of 
Hepplewhite's  frames. 
The  eagle  at  the  top  holds 
in  his  beak  chains  which 
extend  to  the  urns  upon  the 
upper  corners  of  the  frame. 
This  looking-glass  was 
made  about  1790,  and  is 
owned  by  Mrs.  Thomas 
H.  Gage  of  Worcester. 

A  looking-glass  made  to 
fit  the  panel  over  the  man- 
tel is  shown  in  Illustration 
384.  This  mantel  with  the 
looking-glass  is  in  the 
Nichols  house,  in  Salem, 
in  a  room  built  in  1783 
for  a  young  bride.  The 
upper  part  of  the  frame 
has  the  lattice  and  orna- 
ments in  gilt  upon  a  white 
ground,  and  the  overhang- 
ing  cornice   has    a    row   of 

gilt  balls  beneath  it.     The  pillars  framing  the  three 

sections  of  glass  are  fluted  and  bound  with  garlands. 


Ulus.  383.  —  Hepplewhite  Look- 
ing-glass,  1 790. 


Looking-glasses 


399 


Another  large  looking-glass  of  a  similar  design, 
but  of  a  few  years'  later  date,  is  shown  in  Illustra- 
tion 385.  It  is  owned  by  Dwight  Blaney,  Esq.,  and 
was  probably  made  to  fit  some  space,  as  it  is  of  un- 
usual shape  and  very  large.  The  three  panels  at 
the  top  are  painted  upon  glass,  the  middle  panel 


Illus.  384.— Mantel  Glass,   1783. 


having  one  of  the  mortuary  subjects  which  were  so 
popular  with  our  ancestors,  of  a  monument  with  a 
willow  carefully  trained  to  weep  over  the  urn,  and  a 
despondent  female  disconsolately  gazing  upon  the 
ground.  The  glass  may  have  been  ordered  by  the 
grief-stricken  lady  who  is  depicted  in  the  panel,  as 
evidence  that  while  the  looking-glass  was  a  tribute 


400 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


to  the  vanities  of  life,  the  doleful  scene  in  the  panel 
above  the  glass  should  serve  as  a  reminder  that  such 


Illus.  385.  — Looking-glass,   1790-1800. 

vanities  are  fleeting.     The  cornice  and  the  capitals 
of  the  pillars  are  very  elaborate,  and  around  the  top 


Looking-glasses  401 

runs  a  fluted  band  wound  with  garlands  similar  to 
the  pillars  in  Illustration  384. 

Illustration  386  shows  a  looking-glass  in  a  frame 
the  main  portion  of  which  is  of  salmon-colored 
marble,  which  is  glued  or  cemented  to  the  wood  in 
small  thin  pieces.  Upon  the  edges  of  this  marble 
is  a  narrow  gilt  moulding,  and  the  ornaments  at  the 
top  and  bottom  are  of  gilt,  the  fine  scrolls  at  the  top 
being  made  of  wire.  Such  looking-glasses  have 
been  found  in  New  England,  chiefly  in  Massachu- 
setts, and  the  majority  that  have  been  traced  have 
Marblehead  as  their  starting-point  in  this  country. 
In  Marblehead  they  are  known  as  "Bilboa  glasses," 
and  the  story  of  the  old  wives  of  Marblehead  is  that 
these  glasses  were  all  brought  home  by  sailors  who 
had  been  to  Bilboa,  "In  the  bay  of  Biscay,  oh,"  and 
that  the  looking-glasses  were  either  given  as  presents 
to  wives  or  sweethearts,  or  more  prosaically  ex- 
changed for  a  cargo  of  Marblehead  dried  fish.  The 
frames,  however,  would  appear  to  be  of  Italian 
origin,  if  one  wishes  to  be  accurate,  and  discard  the 
picturesque  Marblehead  legend. 

The  looking-glass  in  Illustration  386  is  now  in  the 
Boston  Art  Museum.  The  "Bilboa  glasses"  are 
nearly  all  similar  to  this  in  design,  with  marble 
pillars  at  the  side  and  gilt  ornaments  at  the  top  and 
bottom.  The  glass  is  the  original  one  with  the 
shallow,  wide  bevel,  and  the  frame,  exclusive  of  the 
ornaments  at  the  top  and  bottom,  measures  twenty- 
five  inches  in  height  and  eighteen  in  width. 

Another  "Bilboa  glass"  is  shown  in  the  heading 
to    Chapter    VII.     This    glass    is    owned    by    Mrs. 

2  D 


Illus.  386.  — "Bilboa  Glass,"  1770-1780. 


Looking-glasses 


403 


M.  G.  Potter  of  Worcester,  and  the  story  in  the 
family  is  that  this  looking-glass  was  made  by  Cap- 
tain John  Potter  of  North  Brookfield,  a  well-known 
clock-maker  and  metal-worker,  as  a  present  to  his 
bride,  about  1790.  The  glass  has  always  been  fast- 
ened to  the  black  panel  behind  it,  within  the  mem- 
ory of  the  family.  The  probability  is  that  the  black 
panel  was  made  by  Captain  Potter,  the  frame  of 


Mantel  Glass,   1790. 


marble  with  its  fine  gilt  ornamentation  having  been 
brought  originally  with  other  Bilboa  looking-glasses 
to  Marblehead,  from  Italy  or  Spain,  whichever 
place  they  may  have  been  brought  from.  The  top 
of  this  glass  is  distinctly  different  from  the  one 
in  Illustration  386,  and  is  on  the  order  of  Chippen- 
dale or  other  designers  of  his  day.  Several  "Bilboa" 
frames  have  been  found  with  this  little  fence  at 
the  top.  Other  Bilboa  frames  have  an  oval  or  round 
painted  panel  in  the  centre  of  the  light,  open  gilt 


404 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


ornament  at  the  top.  Two  Bilboa  glasses  are  in  the 
collection  of  Francis  H.  Bigelow,  Esq.,  with  the  mar- 
ble in  the  frame  dark  with  white  veins,  instead  of 
the  usual  salmon  color,  but  made  in  the  same  design 
with  the  columns  at  the  sides. 

During  the  eighteenth  century,  particularly  the 
latter  years,  it  was  fashionable  to  have  a  looking- 
glass    on  the   mantel,  extending   nearly  the  length 


Illus.  388.  — Mantel  Glass,    1800-1810. 


of  the  shelf,  and  divided  into  three  sections,  the 
larger  section  in  the  middle.  The  line  where  the 
glass  was  joined  was  covered  by  a  narrow  gilt 
moulding.  Such  a  looking-glass  is  shown  in  Illus- 
tration 387.  It  has  the  overhanging  cornice  which 
was  a  feature  of  these  glasses,  and  which  was  used 
as  early  as  1783.  A  panel  of  black  basalt  with  a  clas- 
sical design  is  set  into  the  cornice  above  the  glass, 
and  two  small  panels  above  the  side  columns. 
Francis  H.  Bigelow,  Esq.,  owns  this  looking-glass.     It 


Looking-glasses 


405 


probably  was  made  about  1790,  when  Wedgwood  and 
Flaxman  designs  were  popular.  Another  mantel 
glass  of  simpler  style  is  shown  in  Illustration 
334.  It  has  the  pro- 
jecting cornice  but 
not  the  balls  be- 
neath. The  design 
of  the  frame  is  in 
the  usual  classical 
style,  with  pillars  at 
the  sides.  Another 
similar  looking-glass 
is  shown  in  Illustra- 
tion 335.  Both  of 
these  glasses  belong 
to  Francis  H.  Bige- 
low,  Esq.,  of  Cam- 
bridge, and  they 
were  made  from  1800 
to  1 8 10. 

Illustration  388 
shows  a  very  hand- 
some mantel  glass 
owned  by  Harry 
Harkness  Flagler, 
Esq.,  of  Millbrook, 
made  about  1810. 

Cheval  glasses  were 

not  common   in  early     mus.  389.  — Cheval  Glass,    1830-1840. 

times,  to  judge  from 

the  small  number  of   old   specimens  found.      Illus- 
tration 389  shows  one  with  a  frame  and  stand  of 


4o6 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


mahogany,  owned  by  Mrs.  N.  F.  Rogers  of  Worces- 
ter, and  made  about  1830  to  1840. 

Looking-glasses   were   made   from    18 10   to    1825, 

following  the 
heavy  designs 
which  were 
fashionable  at 
that  period, 
and  these 
glasses  are 
com  mo  n  1  y 
found.  By 
this  time  the 
shallow  bevel 
upon  the  glass 
had  d  i  s  a  p- 
peared,  and 
the  glass  in 
these  heavy 
gilt  frames  is 
always  plain. 
The  over- 
hanging cor- 
nice, often 
with  acorns  or 
balls  beneath, 
is  a  feature  of 
these  glasses, 
one  of  which 
is     shown    in 


Illus.  390.  —  Looking-glass.    1810-1825. 


Illustration  390,  with  a  classical  design  below  the 
cornice,   and  with  the  upper  section  filled   with  a 


Looking-glasses  407 

gilded  panel.      It  is  owned  by  Francis  H.  Bigelow, 
Esq.,  of  Cambridge. 

A  glass  of  the  same  period  is  shown  in  Illustration 


Illus.  391.  — Looking-glass,   1810-1815. 

391,  with  the  glass  in  two  sections,  separated  by  a 
gilt  moulding.     The  sides  of  the  frame  are  made  in  a 


4o8 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


double  column,  ending  at  the  division  in  the  glass. 
The  frame  continues  from  there  in  a  bracket  eflPect, 

with  a  heavy  cornice 
above,  and  is  more 
classical  in  design  than 
one  with  twisted  col- 
umns. This  looking- 
glass  is  owned  by  the 
writer. 

The  glass  in  Illus- 
tration 392  is  owned 
by  Dwight  M.  Prouty, 
Esq.  The  frame  is 
gilt,  and  the  heavy 
drapery  is  carved  in 
wood   and  gilded. 

The  richest  and 
largest  form  of  the 
looking-glass  with  a 
projecting  cornice  is 
shown  in  Illustration 
393.  It  is  nearly  the 
height  of  the  room  as 
it  rests  upon  a  low 
shelf.  The  plain  sur- 
face of  the  columns  at 
the  side  is  broken  by 
ornaments,  and  there 
are  no  capitals,  but 
the  same  round  moulding  with  ornaments  extends 
across  the  frame  between  the  heavy  overhanging 
cornice   and   the   top   section,  which    is  very  large. 


Illus.  392.  —  Looking-glass, 
1810-1828. 


Looking-glasses 


409 


Illus.  393.  —  Looking-glass,  1810-1820. 


with  scrolls  and   a  basket  of  flowers  In  high  relief, 
gilt.     This  fine   looking-glass   belongs   to  George 


in 


W.   Holmes,   Esq.,   of   Charleston,    South   Carolina. 


4IO 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


The  glass  with  a  heavy  frame  in  Illustration  394 
belongs  to  the  writer.  Looking-glasses  were  made 
in  this  style  of  mahogany  also,  with  pillars  twisted, 
fluted,  or  carved  with  the  acanthus  leaf.  The  glass  was 

sometimes 
divided  in 
two  sections, 
separated  by 
a  narrow 
moulding,  and 
the  upper  sec- 
tion was  often 
filled  by  a 
gilded  panel, 
as  in  Illustra- 
tion 390.  The 
frame  at  the 
head  of  Chap- 
ter II  shows 
a  looking- 
glass  owned 
by  Mr.  Bige- 
low.  The 
panel  above 
the  glass  is 
gilded,  and  its  design,  of  a  cornucopia,  was  extremely 
popular  at  this  period.  The  upper  section  was  fre- 
quently filled  with  a  picture  painted  upon  glass.  A 
looking-glass  with  such  a  picture  is  shown  in  Illus- 
tration 31,  and  another,  .owned  by  Mrs.  H.  H. 
Bigelow  of  Worcester,  heads  Chapter  I. 


Illus.  394.  — Looking-glass,   1810-1825. 


CHAPTER  XIII 


DOORWAYS,    MANTELS,    AND    STAIRS 


71  XOWHERE  in  this 
I  \  country  can  the 
^  V  interiors  of  the 
old  houses  and  their 
woodwork  be  studied  as  in 
Salem.  The  splendid  man- 
sions around  Philadelphia 
and  in  Maryland  and  Vir- 
ginia are  detached  and  not 
always  accessible,  but  in  Sa- 
lem one  may  walk  through 
the  old  streets  with  a  cer- 
tainty that  almost  any  of  the 
houses  passed  will  prove  to 
contain  features  of  interest 
to  the  student.  The  town 
was  the  home  of  wealthy 
ship-owners  and  East  India 
merchants,  who  built  there 
the  houses  which  we  study, 
for  their  homes.  They  did 
not  spare  expense  —  the  Derby  house  cost  ^80,000; 
and  they  were  fortunate  in  having  for  a  fellow 
citizen  a  wood-carver,  and  designer,  Samuel  Mcln- 
tire,  whose  work  will  bear  comparison  with  that  of 
men  whose  names  have  been  better  known.     Within 

411 


412  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

the  last  few  years,  however,  Mclntire's  name  and 
work  have  attracted  more  attention,  and  his  mantels 
and  doors  in  Salem  have  been  shown  to  the  reading 
public  in  the  book  "The  Woodcarver  of  Salem,"  by 
Frank  Cousins  and  Phil  M.  Riley. 

Mclntire  built  the  eighty  thousand  dollar  Derby 
house,  which  within  a  short  time  of  its  completion  was 
torn  down,  owing  to  the  death  of  Mr.  Derby,  none  of 
the  heirs  wishing  to  keep  so  costly  a  mansion.  Just 
at  that  time,  in  1804,  Captain  Cook  was  building 
the  house  now  known  as  the  Cook-Oliver  house. 
Mclntire,  who  was  the  architect  also  of  this  house, 
persuaded  Captain  Cook  to  use  much  of  the  fine 
woodwork  which  he  had  made  for  Mr.  Derby,  and 
it  was  embodied  in  the  Cook  house,  which  was,  when 
finished,  given  to  the  daughter  of  Captain  Cook, 
who  married  General  Oliver,  the  composer  of  the 
hymn,  "  Federal  Street,"  named  for  the  street  upon 
which  this  house  stands. 

Illustration  395  shows  a  doorway  in  the  hall  of  the 
Cook-Oliver  house,  which  was  taken  from  the  Derby 
mansion.  The  wood  is  pine,  as  in  most  of  the  Salem 
houses,  painted  white,  and  the  ornamentation  is  all 
hand-carved.  The  design  is  thoroughly  classical, 
with  its  graceful  drapery  across  the  top,  and  the  urns, 
also  ornamented  with  drapery.  Through  the  door- 
way may  be  seen  the  mantel,  which  was  taken  from 
the  Derby  mansion,  with  the  fine  hob-grate,  and  a 
little  of  the  old  Zuber  paper,  which  extends  around 
the  room,  with  scenes  of  the  Paris  of  18 10-1820. 

The  doorway  in  Illustration  396  is  in  a  very  dif- 
ferent  style  from   that  of  Mclntire,   with   its   del- 


lllus.  395.  —  Dporway  and  Mantel.  Cook-Oliver  House,  Salem,   1804. 


414 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


icate  and  graceful  ornamentation.  This  doorway  is 
in  the  house  built  in  1720  by  Michael  Dalton,  in  New- 
buryport,  Massachusetts,  and  now  occupied  by  the 


^~%^ 


h^ 


f  I 


^ 


Illus.  396.  —  Doorway  in  Dalton  House,  Newburyport,   1720. 


Doorways,  Mantels,  and  Stairs  415 

Dalton  Club.  It  was  Michael  Dalton  who  built  this 
house,  but  its  golden  years  were  during  the  ownership 
of  his  son,  Tristram  Dalton,  who  married  the  daugh- 
ter of  "King"  Hooper,  and  who  might  well  be  called 
by  the  same  name  as  his  father-in-law.  In  evidence 
of  his  wealth  and  lavish  manner  of  life  is  the  story  of 
his  splendid  coach,  lined  with  white  satin,  drawn  by 
six  white  horses,  and  attended  by  four  outriders,  all 
in  white  and  mounted  upon  white  steeds.  In  this 
dazzling  equipage  the  various  brides  of  the  family  left 
the  house,  and  the  same  royal  splendor  probably  at- 
tended the  arrival  at  the  house  of  famous  guests,  of 
whom  there  were  many.  All  this  display  does  not 
agree  with  the  common  notion  of  sober  New  England, 
but  smacks  rather  of  the  aristocratic  Virginians  who 
built  mansions  on  the  James  River.  The  doorways 
and  mantels  in  the  Dalton  house  tell  of  great  wealth, 
for  those  early  years  of  1720.  They  are  made  of  pine, 
painted  white,  and  all  of  the  woodwork  is  hand 
carved.  The  doorway  in  Illustration  396  is  in  the 
same  room  with  the  mantel  in  Illustration  397  and  is 
designed  in  the  same  classical  style,  with  fluted  col- 
umns and  Ionic  capitals.  The  cornice  is  the  same, 
and  the  egg  and  dart  moulding  upon  it  extends  with 
the  cornice  entirely  around  the  room.  The  immedi- 
ate frame  of  the  door  has  the  same  carved  moulding 
as  the  lower  part  of  the  cornice,  and  the  window 
frames.  The  door  itself  is  very  fine  with  eight 
panels.  The  knob  is  new.  The  original  knob  was 
of  iron. 

Illustration  397  shows  the  mantel  in  the  room  with 
the  doorway,  and  at  one  side  is  a  glimpse  bf  the 


4i6 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


cornice  and  frame  of  the  window  with  its  deep  seat. 
The  fluted  square  pilasters  of  the  doorway,  in  the 


Illus.  397.— Mantel  in  Dalton  House,   1720. 

mantel  are  changed  to  round  detached  columns, 
and  there  is  a  plain  panel  with  simple  mouldings 
over  the  narrow  shelf. 


Doorways,  Mantels,  and  Stairs 


417 


Illustration    398    shows    another    mantel    in    the 
Dalton  house,  of  a  plainer  form,  without  columns. 


Illus.  398.  — Mantel  in  Dalton  House,   1720. 


but  with  a  heavy  moulding,  a  variation  of  the  egg  and 
dart,  around  the  fireplace  and  the  plain  centre  panel. 


2  E 


4i8 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


The  narrow  shelf  is  curiously  set  between  the  panel 
and  the  moulding.  There  is  a  panelled  door  upon 
each  side  of  the  chimney,  opening  into  a  cupboard, 
and  below  each  cupboard  may  be  seen  a  tinder  box, 
in  early  days  a  useful  adjunct  to  a  fireplace. 


.le^il 

Wk.          M 

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■  ^^j 

r     1 

ri 

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mn} 

K--JI 

§ 

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.   j-^v; 

^; 

Illus.  399.  — Hall  and  Stairs  in  Dalton  House,    1720. 

The  stairs  in  the  Dalton  house  are  shown  in  Illus- 
tration 399.  The  newel  is  carved  with  a  detached 
twist  around  the  centre  post,  and  each  of  the  three 
balusters  upon  every  stair  has  a  different  twist,  in 
the  fashion  of  the  seaport  staircases  of  the  eighteenth 
century.     Two  of  the  Dalton  chairs  stand  at  the  foot 


420 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


of  the  stairs,  and  above  them  hangs  the  portrait  of 
Tristram  Dalton,  a  fine  gentleman  In  a  white  satin 
waistcoat.     Over  the  stairs  hangs  a  "hall  lanthorne" 

like  the  one  in 
Illustration  333. 
Illustration 
400  shows  the 
side  of  a  room 
in  the  Penny- 
Hallett  house  at 
685  Centre  St., 
Jamaica  Plain. 
It  dates  to  1774, 
and  is  all  elab- 
orately carved 
by  hand,  with 
scrolls,  birds, 
garlands  of  flow- 
ers and  fruit, 
and  a  head  over 
each  arch  at  the 
side  of  the  man- 
tel. All  of  this 
woodwork  has 
been  removed, 
and  embodied  in 
a  Boston  house. 
The  house  known  by  the  names  of  past  occupants 
as  the  Parker-Inches-Emery  house  is  now  occupied 
by  the  Women's  City  Club  of  Boston,  which  is  for- 
tunate in  being  able  to  preserve  this  house  from 
changes  for  business  purposes.     The  woodwork  is 


Illus.  401, 


Parker-Inches-Emery  House, 
Boston,   1818. 


Illus.  402.  —  Mantel  in  Lee  Mansion,  Marblehead,   1768. 


Doorways,  Mantels,  and  Stairs  423 

probably  the  finest  In  Boston,  and  is  attributed,  with 
the  building,  to  Bulfinch.  The  doorway  in  Illustra- 
tion 401  is  from  the  back  parlor  of  the  house.  The 
door  is  mahogany,  and  the  carved  woodwork  of  the 
frame  is  in  a  severely  classical  design.  The  anthe- 
mion  figures  upon  the  pilasters  and  in  the  capital,  and 
the  design  of  the  frieze  is  beautiful  in  its  severity. 
The  house  was  built  in  1818. 

In  his  "Complete  Body  of  Architecture"  Isaac 
Ware  says  of  the  chimney-piece  :  "  No  common  room, 
plain  or  elegant,  could  be  constituted  without  it.  No 
article  in  a  well-finished  room  is  so  essential.  The 
eye  is  immediately  cast  upon  it  on  entering,  and  the 
place  of  sitting  down  is  naturally  near  it.  By  this 
means  it  becomes  the  most  eminent  thing  in  the 
finishing  of  an  apartment." 

The  mantelpiece  in  Illustration  402  is  in  the  ban- 
quet hall  of  the  house  built  in  1768,  upon  generous 
plans,  by  Col.  Jeremiah  Lee  in  Marblehead.  The 
depth  of  the  chimney  is  in  the  rear,  and  the  mantel  is 
almost  flush  with  the  panelled  walls.  It  is  painted 
white  like  the  other  woodwork,  and  is  richly  orna- 
mented with  hand  carving,  in  rococo  designs,  with 
garlands  of  fruit  and  flowers  in  high  relief,  after  the 
fashion  of  the  time,  and  has  a  plain  panel  over  the 
narrow  shelf,  which  rests  upon  carved  brackets. 

Illustration  403  shows  the  beautiful  landing  at 
the  head  of  the  stairway  in  the  Lee  mansion,  with 
the  large  window  and  Corinthian  pilasters,  and 
the  wonderful  old  paper,,  all  in  tones  of  gray. 
The  turn  of  the  stairs  is  seen,  and  the  finely  twisted 
balusters. 


424 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Illustration  404  shows  the  rear  of  the  stairway, 
with  the  front  door,  in  the  house  built  in  1795  by 


Illus.  404.  — stairs  in  Harrison  Gray  Otis  House,  Boston,    1795. 

Harrison  Gray  Otis,  in  Boston.  It  is  now  the  prop- 
erty and  headquarters  of  the  Society  for  the  Preserva- 
tion of  New  England  Antiquities,  having  reached 
that  safe  haven  after  the  descent  from  an  elegant 


Doorways,  Mantels,  and  Stairs  425 

and  fashionable  residence  to  a  lodging  house.  It 
has  now  been  restored  with  great  care  to  much  of  its 
original  appearance.  The  illustration  shows  the 
fine  boxing  of  the  stairs  and  the  ornamentation  of 


' .T«: 

,  1 

1 

1' 

\ 

1 

t 

i 

.■v'i    J 

y 

Illus.  405.  — Mantel  in  Harrison  Gray  Otis  House,  Boston,   1795. 

the  stair-ends.     The  balusters  are  twisted  and  end 
in  a  turn  without  a  newel  post. 

Illustration  405  shows  a  mantel  in  the  Otis  house 
of  painted  wood,  with  the  space  above  the  shelf  taken 
by  two  sets  of  doors,  one  sham,  of  wood,  and  the  other 


426  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

of  Iron,  which  opens  Into  a  safe.  It  Is  difficult  to 
imagine  why  this  transparent  device  was  placed  in 
such  a  conspicuous  place. 


1 

• 

%v  itrN-liii 

1 

^^^^^^^^^^^K .  1 

^^^^^^^^^fe                                            -  ^^^mhHH^^^^^^ 

Illus.  406.  —  Stairs  in  Robinson  House,  Saunderstown. 

Illustration  406  shows  a  very  good  stairway  in 
the  Robinson  house  in  Saunderstown,  R.  I.     It  has 


Doorways,  Mantels,  and  Stairs 


427 


two  turns,  and  the  panelling  on  the  side  wall  has  a 
mahogany  rail  which  turns  with  the  one  above  the 


lUus.  407.  — Stairs  in  Allen  House,  Salem,    1770. 


twisted  balusters.  The  return  of  the  stairs  is  panelled 
beneath,  and  at  each  corner  of  the  turn  of  the 
balusters  is  a  large  post  like  the  newel,  which  ex- 


428 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


tends  below  the  stairs  and  is  finished  in  a  twisted 
flame-like  ornament. 

The   beautiful   stairway  with   panelled   ends   and 
boxing   in    Illustration   407   is   in   the   Allen   house 

in  Salem.  The 
balusters  are  par- 
ticularly good. 

A  section  of 
the  fine  stair- 
way at  "Oak 
Hill,"  Peabody, 
Massachusetts, 
in  Illustration 
408,  gives  the 
detail  of  the 
twisted  balusters 
and  newel  so 
often  seen  in  the 
old  seaport 
towns.  Each 
one  of  the  balus- 
ters, of  which 
there  are  three 
upon  a  stair,  has 
a  different  twist, 
and  the  newel 
Is  a  twist  within 
a  twist,  the  outer 
spiral  being  de- 
tached from  the  inner  one.  The  balusters  are  painted 
white,  and  the  rail  and  newel  are  of  mahogany. 
Illustration    409    shows     the     staircase     in     the 


Illus.  408. 


Balusters  and  Newel  of  Stairs 
'Oak  Hill,"  Peabody. 


Illus.  409.  — stairs  in  Sargent-Murray-Gilman  House,  Gloucester,   1768. 


430  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

Sargent-Murray-Gilman  house  in  Gloucester,  and 
Illustration  410  shows  a  mantel  in  the  same  house, 
which  was  built  in  1768,  by  Winthrop  Sargent,  for  his 


lUus.  410.  —  Mantel  in  Sargent- Murray-Gilman  House,  1768. 


Doorways,  Mantels,  and  Stairs 


431 


daughter  when  she  married  Rev.  John  Murray,  who 
was  the  founder  of  the  Universalist  church  in  America. 
Later,  the  house  was  occupied  by  the  father  of  Rev. 
Samuel  Gilman, 


^K^^^^^^^KV- 

1 

1   ■' 

""^""T^" 

^^n 

the  author  of 
"Fair  Harvard." 
The  mantel  is 
of  wood,  hand 
carved,  with  a 
broken  pedi- 
ment supported 
by  plain  columns 
with  Corinthian 
capitals,  while 
those  below  the 
shelf  have  Ionic 
capitals.  The 
stairway  is  very 
fine,  with  pan- 
elled boxing  and 
ends,  and  twisted 
balusters  and 
newel.  There  is 
a  good  window 
upon  the  landing, 
with  fluted  pilas- 
ters at  each  side. 

A  Mclntire  mantel  is  shown  in  Illustration  411, 
from  the  Kimball  house  in  Salem.  The  carving  is 
done  by  hand  and  is  very  elaborate,  with  urns  in  the 
corner  insets,  and  a  spray  in  the  ones  over  the  fluted 
pilaster  which  completes  the  return  of  the  mantel. 


IIlus.  411, 


Mantel  in  Kimball  House, 
Salem,   1800. 


432 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


A  curious  row  of  little  bell-shaped  drops  is  beneath 
the  shelf,  the  edge  of  which  has  a  row  of  small 
globes  set  into  it,   like  beads  upon  a  string. 


Illus.  412.  — Mantel  in  Lindall-Barnard-Andrews  House,  Salem,  1800. 

Another  Mclntire  mantel  is  shown  in  Illustra- 
tion 412,  the  parlor  mantel  in  the  Lindall-Barnard- 
Andrews  house  in  Salem.  The  carving  is  done  by 
hand,  and  the  sheaves  of  wheat,  the  basket  of  fruit, 


^ 


I     ! 


lUus.  413.  — Doorway  in  Larkin-Richter  House, 
Portsmouth,  about  1800. 


434 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


and  the  flower-filled  draperies  are  delicate  and  charm- 
ing.    It  was  put  in  the  house  in  1800,  but  the  paper 

dates  to  1747, 
the  time  when 
the  house  was 
built,  and  it 
was  imported  for 
this  room  from 
France. 

A  very  charm- 
ing doorway  is 
shown  in  Illus- 
tration 41 3,  from 
the  Larkin- 
Richter  house  in 
Portsmouth.  It 
has  urns  and 
festoons  of  flow- 
ers and  wonder- 
fully fine  carv- 
ings upon  the 
cornice.  Illus- 
tration 414 
shows  a  doorway 
leading  into  the 
hall  in  the  "Oc- 
tagon" in  Wash- 
ington, D.  C. 
The  house  de- 
rives its  name  from  its  shape,  built  to  conform  to 
a  triangular  lot.  Col.  John  Tayloe  built  it  in  1800, 
and  for  twenty-five  years  the  entertainments  given 


Ulus.  414.  —  Doorway  in  the  "Octagon," 
Washington. 


Doorways,  Mantels,  and  Stairs  435 

in  the  Octagon  were  famous.  It  is  now  occupied 
by  the  American  Institute  of  Architects.  The 
entrance  to  the  house  is  in  a  circular  tower  of  three 
stories  in  height,  thus  utilizing  the  shape  of  the 
triangle.  This  gives  a  large,  circular  vestibule 
from  which  a  wide,  arched  doorway  leads  into  the  hall 


Illus.  415.  —  Mantel  in  the  "Octagon,"  Washington. 

with  the  stairs,  which  are  very  simple,  with  plain 
small  balusters,  and  a  mahogany  rail.  The  doorway 
is  very  fine,  with  fluted  columns  and  carved  capitals 
and  on  the  inside  of  the  arch  a  row  of  carving,  making 
a  beautiful  entrance  to  the  house. 

The  mantel  in  Illustration  415  is  in  the  "Octagon" 
house,  and  is  made  of  a  cement  composition,  cast  in  a 


436 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


mould,  and  painted  white.  The  cement  is  fine  and 
the  effect  is  much  as  if  it  were  wood  or  stone.  The 
designs  are  graceful  and  well  modelled.     This  style  of 


UUULl-l  !  M  I  r 


Illus.  416.  —  Mantel  in  Schuyler  House,  Albany. 


mantel  with  figures  at  the  sides  was  used  more  in  the 
South,  and  one  would  hardly  find  in  a  Northern  home 
a  mantel  the  motif  of  which  was  a  frankly  portrayed 
praise  of  wine,  with  the  centre  panel  quite  Baccha- 
nalian in  its  joviality. 


Doorways,  Mantels,  and  Stairs  437 

The  mantel  in  Illustration  416  is  in  the  Schuyler 
mansion  in  Albany,  New  York,  which  has  been,  wisely 
and  thoroughly  restored  to  its  original  beauty,  and 
stands  a  monument  not  only  of  the  Albany  life  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  but  to  the  early  efficiency  of 
woman,  for  it  was  built  in  1760  by  the  wife  of  Gen. 
Philip  Schuyler,  during  the  absence  of  her  husband 
in  England.  This  mantel  is  in  the  room  called  the 
Hamilton  room,  because  it  was  here  that  the  daughter 
of  the  house,  Elizabeth  Schuyler,  was  married  to 
Alexander  Hamilton.  The  wood  of  the  mantel  is, 
like  that  in  the  other  rooms,  pine,  painted  white,  and 
the  room  is  handsomely  panelled,  with  a  heavy  cor- 
nice. The  shelf  is  narrow  with  a  panel  above  it 
which  is  surmounted  by  a  cornice,  with  a  broken 
pediment.  The  mantel  is  very  dignified  and  does 
credit  to  the  excellent  taste  of  the  colonial  dame  who 
chose  it  and  superintended  its  instalment. 

Illustration  417  shows  a  mantel  in  Philipse  Manor 
in  Yonkers,  New  York.  The  original  house  was 
built  in  the  seventeenth  century,  but  in  1745  it  was 
greatly  enlarged  by  Judge  Philipse,  the  second  lord 
of  the  Manor,  and  it  was  probably  at  about  that  time 
that  the  fine  woodwork  in  the  house  was  installed. 
Judge  Philipse  was  the  father  of  Mary  Philipse,  to 
whom  in  1757  Washington  paid  court  —  unsuccess- 
fully. She  married  Roger  Morris  in  1758,  and  in  1779 
fled  with  him  to  England,  attainted  as  Royalists,  to- 
gether with  her  brother,  the  third  and  last  lord  of  the 
Manor,  which  then  passed  from  the  Philipse  family. 
It  was  purchased  in  1868  by  the  village  of  Yonkers, 
and   remained  in  the  possession  of  the  city  until 


Doorways,  Mantels,  and  Stairs 


439 


1908,  when  the  title  to  the  Manor  was  taken  by  the 
State  of  New  York,  and  the  American  Scenic  and 
Historic  Preservation   Society  was   appointed   cus- 


Illus.  418. —  Mantel  and  Doorways  in  Manor  Hall.  Yonkers. 

todian,  thus  insuring  the  preservation  of  this  his- 
toric house.  The  mantel  in  Illustration  417  is  in  the 
East  parlor,  where  Mary  Philipse  was  married,  and 
is,  like  all  of  the  woodwork,  painted  white  and  very 
finely  hand  carved,  with  flowers  in  high  relief.    The 


440 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


iron  fire  back  which  was  originally  in  the  fireplace 
is  still  there,  but  the  tiles  are  new.  The  pilasters 
have  composite  capitals,  and  are  used  as  a  part  of 
the  decoration  of  the  side  of  the  room  with  the  mantel. 


Illus.  419.  —  Mantel  in  Manor  Hall,  Yonkers. 


The  ceiling  in  this  room,  a  glimpse  of  which  may  be 
seen  in  the  illustration,  is  elaborately  decorated 
with  rococo  scrolls,  framing  medallions,  in  two  of 
which  are  portrait  heads.  The  entire  house  bears 
evidence  of  the  wealth  of  the  lords  of  the  Manor. 


Doorways,  Mantels,  and  Stairs 


441 


Illustration  418  shows  the  mantel  in  the  chamber 
over  the  East  parlor,  also  beautifully  carved  with 
flowers  and  fruit  and  scrolls,  after  the  fashion  of 
the  period.  The 
three  feathers 
above  were  an  in- 
dication of  loyalty 
to  the  crown,  as 
they  were  placed 
there  years  before 
the  division  of 
parties  for  the  King 
and  the  Prince  of 
Wales,  when  the 
use  of  the  three 
feathers  meant  al- 
legiance to  the 
latter.  Over  the 
doors  is  a  carved 
scroll  with  the 
broken  pediment, 
and  a  small  scroll 
in  the  centre. 

Illustration  419 
shows  another 
mantel  in  Manor 
Hall  of  a  less  or- 
nate    type,     very 

dignified  and  fine  with  its  simple  pilasters  and  the 
smaller  ones  at  the  sides  of  the  panel.  The  cornice 
over  the  doors  is  one  that  was  used  often  in  fine 
houses.     These  doorways  and  mantels  are  restored, 


Illus.  420.  —  Doorway  and  Stairs, 
Independence  Hall. 


442  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

but  the  greater  part  was  intact  or  simply  out 
of  repair.  Illustration  420  shows  the  beautiful 
panelled  arch  to  the  doorway,  and  the  stairs  in  In- 
dependence Hall  in  Philadelphia,  with  a  glimpse  of 
the  frame  of  the  window  upon  the  landing.  The 
balusters  are  plain  and   substantial,  with  a  mahog- 


Ulus.  421.  — Stairs  at  "Graeme  Park,"  Horsham. 


Doorways,  Mantels,  and  Stairs 


443 


any  rail,  and  the  rise  of  the  stairs  is  very  gradual. 
The  thickness  of  the  wall  allows  wide  panels  in  the 
inside  of  the  arch,  and  the  doorway  and  the  pillars 
at  the  side  are  of  imposing  height. 

Illustration  421  shows  the  stairway  at  "Graeme 
Park,"  the  house  built  in  1722  by  Sir  William  Keith, 


^i^^^iiii|i| 

gi"'^"'^ m 

jtaHHBgl 

^™B 

fm 

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1    i^^^-^HflPH 

JiH! 

i  :''' 

lEIIfn!  !■    Hi 

1^ 

i. J 

Kritii       li 

Illus.  422.  —  Mantel  and  Doorways,  Graeme  Park. 

Governor  of  Penn's  Colony,  at  Horsham,  Pennsyl- 
vania. The  place  is  named  from  Dr.  Graeme,  who 
married  the  step-daughter  of  Gov.  Keith,  and  oc- 
cupied the  house  after  1727.  Gov.  Keith  lived  here 
in  great  style,  with  a  large  household,  as  his  inventory 
implies,  with  "60  bedsteads,  144  chairs,  32  tables  and 
15  looking-glasses."  The  discrepancy  between  the 
number  of  bedsteads  and  looking-glasses  is  accounted 
for  by  the  price  of  glass,  and  the  probability  that 


444  Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 

many  of  the  sixty  occupants  of  the  bedsteads  were 
servants  or  slaves,  whose  toilet  was  not  important, 
and  who  did  not  live  in  the  mansion,  but  in  the  out- 
buildings around  it.  The  house  was  built  in  accord- 
ance with  the  manner  of  life  of  the  Governor,  and 
contained  large  rooms,  handsomely  panelled  and  fin- 
ished in  oak,  unpainted.  The  stairs  in  Illustration 
421  are  all  of  oak,  stairs,  balusters,  and  rail,  and  are  of 
an  entirely  different  style  from  the  twisted  balus- 
ters and  newels  of  the  northern  seaport  towns,  but 
of  a  solidity  and  simplicity  that  is  attractive. 

Illustration  422  shows  the  side  wall  of  a  chamber 
at  Graeme  Park,  also  of  oak.  The  fireplace  is  sur- 
rounded by  tiles,  and  the  chimney-piece  is  panelled 
above,  but  there  is  no  shelf.  The  doorways  at  each 
side  of  the  mantel  are  charming,  with  the  arch  above 
and  the  semicircular  window.  The  old  hinges  and 
latches  are  still  upon  the  doors. 

The  doorway  in  Illustration  423  is  from  the  Chase 
house  in  Annapolis,  Maryland,  and  is  in  a  room  with 
several  doors  and  windows,  all  with  their  deeply 
carved  frames,  painted  white,  with  solid  mahogany 
doors,  and  hinges  and  latches  of  silver.  The  heavy 
wooden  inside  shutters  have  large  rosettes  carved 
upon  them,  and  the  effect  of  all  this  carving  is  ex- 
tremely rich.  The  Chase  house  was  built  in  1769, 
by  Samuel  Chase,  afterwards  a  Signer  of  the  Declara- 
tion of  Independence,  and  Associate  Justice  of  the 
Supreme  Court.  It  was  sold  soon  after  its  comple- 
tion, but  in  1847  came  back  into  the  possession  of 
Chase  descendants,  and  finally,  in  1888,  it  was  left 
by  will  to  found  the  Chase  Home  for  Aged  Women, 


lUus.  423.  — Doorway  in  Chase  House,  Annapolis. 


446 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


together  with  furniture  and  china,  much  of  which 
still  remains  there.  A  looking-glass  from  this  house 
is  shown  in  Illustration  374.  The  door  latch  of  solid 
silver  is  of  the  shape  of  handles  shown  in  Illustration 
II,  letter  F. 

Illustration  424   shows   the   noble  entrance  from 
the  outer  hall  to  the  inner  hall  with  the  stairs,  at 


Illus.  424.  — Entrance  and  Stairs,  "Cliveden." 


Doorways,  Mantels,  and  Stairs  447 


Illus.  425.  — Mantel  in  Cliveden,  Germantown. 

''Cliveden,"  in  Germantown,  Pennsylvania.  The 
house  was  built  in  1761  by  Chief  Justice  Benjamin 
Chew,   and  is  now  owned  by  Mrs.   Samuel  Chew. 


448 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


Cliveden  was  famous  for  its  entertainments,  and  dur- 
ing the   Revolutionary  War  was   the   scene  of   the 

Battle    of    Ger- 

mantown,  when 
the  house  was 
seized  by  the 
British.  The 
marks  of  bullets 
may  still  be  seen 
in  the  wall  at  the 
right  of  the  illus- 
tration. One  of 
the  daughters  of 
Chief  Justice 
Chew  was  the 
lovely  Peggy 
Chew,  who  was 
one  of  the  belles 
of  the  Mischi- 
anza  fete,  where 
Major  Andre  was 
her  knight. 

Cliveden  had 
many  famous 
guests  —  Wash- 
ington, Lafay- 
ette, JohnAdams, 
and  others,  who 
came  to  Phila- 
delphia while  it 
was  the  seat  of  the  administration.  The  door  at 
the  right  of  the  stair  in  Illustration  240  opens  into 


Ulus.  426.  —  Fretwork  Balustrade,  Garrett 
House,  Williamsburg. 


Doorways,  Mantels,  and  Stairs 


449 


a  parlor,  the  mantel  in  which  is  shown  in  Illustra- 
tion 425.     It  is  plain,  but  attractive  for  its  simplicity. 

The  b  a  1  u  s- 
trade  in  Illustra- 
tion 426  is  in 
the  house  of  the 
Misses  Garrett 
in  Williamsburg, 
Virginia,  and  is 
in  a  Chinese  f ret- 
work  design. 
There  is  one  with 
the  same  fret- 
work in  the  Paca 
house  in  Annap- 
olis, and  prob- 
ably of  the  same 
date,  about  1765. 
The  winding 
staircase  in  Il- 
lustration 427  is 
in  the  house  now 
occupied  by  the 
Valentine  Mu- 
seum, in  Rich- 
mond, Virginia. 
It  was  built  iiius.  427. 
about  1812,  and 
was  given  to  the 

city  for  a  museum,  by  the  Valentine  family.     It  is 
a  very  good  example  of  the  stairway  known  as  a 
"winder."     Illustration  428  shows  a  beautiful  mantel 
2  G 


Stairs,  Valentine  Museum, 
Richmond. 


4SO 


Furniture  of  the  Olden  Time 


in  the  residence  of  Barton  Myers,  Esq.,  in  Norfolk, 
Virginia.  The  mantel  is  in  the  Adam  style,  with 
festoons  of  flowers    and    scrolls   beneath   the   shelf, 


Illus.  428. —  Mantel  in  Myers  Hoiise,  Norfolk. 

in  applied  ornaments,  and  long  lines  of  the  bell- 
flower,  looped  in  graceful  lines  upon  the  panel.  The 
chandelier  is  brass,  of  about  1 850-1 860. 


GLOSSARY  OF  TERMS  USED  IN 
CABINET  WORK 

A 

Acanthus.     The  conventionalized  leaf  of  the  acanthus  plant. 

Anthemion.  A  Greek  form  of  ornament  made  from  the  con- 
ventionalized flower  of  the  honeysuckle. 

Apron.  The  ornamental  wooden  piece  extending  between 
the  legs  of  a  table,  below  the  body  frame. 

Applied  ornament.  One  which  is  carved  or  sawed  separately 
and  fastened  upon  the  surface. 

Armoire.     The  French  term  for  cupboard. 

B 

Bail.     The  part  of  a  handle,  in  ring  or  hoop  shape,  which  is 

taken  hold  of. 
Bandy  or  Cabriole  leg.     One  which   is   made  in   a  double 

curve. 
Banister  back.     A   chair   back   made   of  vertical   pieces  of 

wood  extending  between  an  upper  and  lower  rail. 
Baroque.     A  term  applied  to  a  style  of  extravagant  over- 
ornamentation. 
Bead   or  Beading.     A   small    convex    moulding,   sometimes 

divided  and  cut  like  beads. 
Beaufat  or  Bowfatt.     A  corner  cupboard,  extending  to  the 

floor. 
Bergere.     A  French  chair  with  a  very  wide  seat. 
Bible  box.     A  box,  usually  of  oak,  for  holding  the  Bible. 
Block  front.     A  term  applied  to  the  front  of  a  desk  or  chest 

of  drawers,  to  indicate  the  blocked  shape  in  which  the 

drawer  fronts  are  carved  or  sawed. 
451 


452     Glossary  of  Terms  used  in  Cabinet  Work 

Bombe.      Kettle-shaped. 

Bonnet  top.     A  top  made  with  a  broken  arch  or  pediment. 

Bracket.     The  piece  of  wood  of  bracket  shape,  used  in  the 

angle  made  by  the  top  and  the  leg. 
Bracket  foot.  A  foot  in  bracket  form. 
Broken  arch  or  Pediment.     One  in  which  the  cornice  is  not 

complete,  but  lacks  the  central  section. 
Buffet.     A  sideboard,  or  piece  of  furniture  used  as  a  side- 
board. 
Buhl.     A  form  of  inlaying  engraved  brass  upon  a  thin  layer 

of  tortoise  shell,   over  a   colored   background.      Named 

from  its  inventor.  Buhl,  or  Boulle. 
Bureau.     In  early  time,  and  even  now  in  England,  a  desk 

with    a   slanting   lid.      Now   used    chiefly   to   indicate    a 

chest  of  drawers. 
Bureau-table.     A  small  chest  of  drawers  made  like  a  desk, 

but  with  a  flat  top. 
Butterfly  table.      A  small  table  with  turned  legs  and  stretchers 

and  drop  leaves,  which  are  held  up  by  swinging  brackets 

with  the  outer  edge  curved  like  a  butterfly  wing. 

c 

Cabinet.     The  interior  of  a  desk,   fitted  with   drawers  and 

compartments. 
Cabriole  leg.      Bandy  leg,  curved  or  bent. 
Capital.      The  upper  part  of  a  column  or  pillar. 
Carcase.     The  main  body  of  a  piece  of  furniture. 
Cellaret.     A  low,  metal-lined  piece  of  furniture,  sometimes 

with  the  interior  divided  into  sections,  used  as  a  wine 

cooler. 
Chaise  longue.     The  French  term  for  a  day  bed  or  couch. 
Chamfer.     A  corner  cut  ofi^,  so  as  to  form  a  flat  surface  with 

two  angles. 
Claw-and-ball  foot.     The  termination  of  a  leg  with  a  ball 

held  in  a  claw,  usually  that  of  a  bird. 
Comb  back.     A  Windsor  chair  back,  with  an  extension  top, 

shaped  like  a  comb. 
Commode.     A  chest  of  drawers. 


Glossary  of  Terms  used  in  Cabinet  Work     453 

Console   table.     One   to    be    placed    below   a   looking-glass, 

sometimes  with  a  glass  between  the  back  legs. 
Court   or  Press    cupboard.      A    very   early   cupboard    with 

doors  and  drawers  below  and  a  smaller  cupboard  above, 

the  top  being  supported  by  heavy  turned  columns  at 

the  corners. 

D 
Day  bed  or  Chaise  longue.     A  long  narrow  seat  used  as  a 

couch  or  settee,  usually  with  four  legs  upon  each  side, 

and  a  chair  back  at  the  head. 
Dentils.     An    architectural   ornament    made   of  a   series   of 

small  detached  cubes. 
Desk.     A  piece  of  furniture  with  conveniences  for  writing. 
Desk  box.     A  box  similar  to  a  Bible  box,  made  to  hold  books 

or  papers. 
Diaper.     A  small  pattern  or  design,  repeated  indefinitely  on 

a  surface. 
Dish  top.     A  table  top  with  a  plain  raised  rim. 
Dovetail.     Fastening  together  with  mortise  and  tenon. 
Dowel.     A  wooden  pin  used  to  fasten  sections  together. 
Dresser.     A  set  of  shelves  for  dishes. 
Dutch  foot.     A  foot  which  spreads  from  the  leg  in  a  circular 

termination. 

E 
Egg  and  dart.     A  form  of  ornament   made  of  egg-shaped 

pieces  with  dart-shaped  pieces  between. 
Empire  style.     A  style  which   became   popular  during  the 

First    Empire,    largely    formed    upon    Egyptian   styles, 

found    by    Napoleon    during    his    Egyptian    campaign. 

Later   the    term    was    applied    to    the    heavy   furniture 

with  coarse  carving,  of  the  first  quarter  of  the  nineteenth 

century. 
Escritoire.     A  secretary. 
Escutcheon.     The  metal  plate  of  a  key-hole. 

F 
Fan  back.     The  back  of  a  Windsor  chair  with  the  spindles 
flaring  like  an  open  fan. 


454     Glossary  of  Terms  used  in  Cabinet  Work 

Fender.     A  guard  of  pierced  metal,  or  wire,  to  place  before 

an  open  fire. 
Field  bedstead.     One  with  half  high  posts  which  uphold  a 

frame  covered  with  netting  or  cloth. 
Finial.     The  ornament  which  is  used  at  the  top  of  a  pointed 

effect  as  a  finish. 
Flemish  foot  or  leg.     An  early  scroll  form  with  one  scroll 

turning   in    and    the   other   turning   out;     found    upon 

Jacobean  furniture. 
Fluting.     A  series  of  concave  grooves. 
French  foot.     In  Chippendale's  time,  a  scroll  foot  terminating 

a  cabriole  leg;   in  Hepplewhite's  time,  a  delicate  form  of 

a  bracket  foot. 
Fret-work.     A  form  of  ornament  in  furniture,  sawed  or  carved 

in  an  open  design. 

G 

Gadroon  or  Godroon.  A  form  of  ornament  consisting  of  a 
series  of  convex  flutings,  chiefly  used  in  a  twisted  form 
as  a  finish  to  the  edge. 

Gallery.  The  raised  and  pierced  rim  upon  a  table  top, 
usually  in  Chinese  fret-work. 

Gate-legged,  hundred-legged,  or  forty-legged  table.  An 
early  table  with  drop  leaves  and  stretchers  between 
the  legs,  of  which  there  are  six  stationary  upon  the 
middle  section,  and  one  or  two  which  swing  out  to  hold 
up  the  drop  leaves. 

Girandole.     A  mirror  with  fixtures  for  candles. 

Gueridon.     A  stand  to  hold  a  candelabra,  —  a  candle-stand. 

Guilloche.  An  ornamental  pattern  formed  by  interlacing 
curves. 


H 

High-boy.     A  tall-boy  or  chest  of  drawers  upon  high  legs. 
Hood.     The  bonnet  top  of  a  high-boy. 

Husk.     The  form  of  ornament  made  from  the  bell-flower, 
much  used  by  Hepplewhite. 


Glossary  of  Terms  used  in  Cabinet  Work     455 


J 

Jacobean.  A  term  applied  to  furniture  of  the  last  quarter 
of  the  seventeenth  century,  although  properly  it  should 
apply  to  the  period  of  James  I. 

Japanning  or  Lacquering.  In  the  eighteenth  century  a  process 
copied  from  the  Chinese  and  Japanese  lacquer;  in 
Hepplewhite's  time  a  method  of  painting  and  gilding 
with  a  thin  varnish. 


Kas  or  Kos.     A   Dutch   high  case  with   drawers   and   doors, 

made  to  hold  linen,  and  extending  to  the  floor,  from  which 

it  was  sometimes  held  up  by  large  balls. 
Kettle    front  or    bombe.     A    form    of  chest    of   drawers  or 

secretary,  in  which  the  lower  drawers,  toward  the  base, 

swell  out  in  a  curve. 
Knee.     The  term  applied  to  the  upper  curve,  next  the  body, 

of  a  bandy  leg. 
Knee-hole  desk.     A  desk  with   a  table  top,   and   an  open 

space  below  with  drawers  at  each  side. 


Lacquer.     A  Chinese  and  Japanese  process  of  coating  with 

many  layers  of  varnish. 
Ladder  back.     A  chair  back  of  the  Chippendale  period,  with 

horizontal  carved  or  sawed  pieces  across  the  back. 
Low-boy.     A  dressing-table,  made  to  go  with  a  high-boy. 

M 

Marquetry.     Inlay  in  different  woods. 

Mortise.     The  form  cut  in  a  piece  of  wood  to  receive  the 

tenon,  to  form  a  joint. 
Mounts.     The    metal    handles,    escutcheons,    or   ornaments 

fastened  upon  a  piece  of  furniture. 


456     Glossary  of  Terms  used  in  Cabinet  Work 

O 

Ogee.     A  cyma,  or  double  curve,  as  of  a  moulding. 
Ormolu.     Mountings    of   gilded    bronze    or    brass,    used    as 
ornaments. 


Pie-crust  table.     A  table  with  a  raised  edge  made  in  a  series 

of  curves. 
Pier-glass.     A  large  looking-glass. 
Pigeon-hole.     A  small  open  compartment  in  the  cabinet  of 

a  desk  or  secretary. 
Patina.     The  surface  of  wood  or  metal  acquired  by  age  or 

long  use. 
Pediment.     The  part  above  the  body  of  a  book-case  or  chest 

of  drawers,  with  an  outline  low  at  the  sides  and  high  in 

the  middle,  similar  to  the  Greek  pediment. 
Pembroke  table.     A  small  table  with  drop  leaves,  to  use  as 

a  breakfast  table. 

R 

Rail.     The  horizontal  pieces  across  a  frame  .or  panel. 

Reeding.     Parallel  convex  groovings. 

Ribband  or  Ribbon-back.     A  chair  back  of  the  Chippendale 

period,  with  the  back  formed  of  carved  ribbon  forms. 
Rococo.     A  name  derived  from  two  words,  rock  and  shell  — 

applied  to  a  style  of  ornamentation  chiefly  composed  of 

scrolls  and.  shells,  used  in  irregular  forms,  often  carried 

to  extremes. 
Roundabout  or  Corner  chair.     An  armchair,  the  back  of  which 

extends  around  two  sides,  leaving  two  sides  and  a  corner 

in  front. 

S 

Scroll-top.     A  top  made  of  two  curves  broken  at  the  center, 

a  bonnet  top. 
Secretary.     A  desk  with  a  top  enclosed  by  doors,  with  shelves 

and  compartments  behind  them. 


Glossary  of  Terms  used  in  Cabinet  Work     457 

Serpentine  or  Yoke  front.     A  term  applied  to  drawer  fronts 

sawed  or  carved  in  a  double  curve. 
Settee.     A  long  seat  with  wooden  arms  and  back,  the  latter 

sometimes  upholstered. 
Settle.     A  seat,   usually  for  two,   made  with   high   wooden 

arms  and  back,  to  stand  in  front  of  a  fire.     Often  the 

back  turned  over  upon  pivots  to  form  a  table  top. 
Slat-back.     A  chair  back  very  commonly  found,  with  plain 

horizontal   pieces  of  wood   across  the  back  in  varying 

numbers. 
Spade  foot.     A  foot  used  by  Hepplewhite  and  Sheraton,  the 

tapering  leg  increasing  suddenly  about  two  inches  from 

the  end,  and  tapering  again  forming  a  foot  the  sides  of 

which  are  somewhat  spade-shaped. 
Spandrels.     The  triangular  pieces  formed  by  the  outlines  of 

the  circular  face  of  a  clock  and  the  square  corners. 
Spanish  foot.     An  angular,  grooved  foot  with  a  scroll  base 

turning  inward. 
Spindle.     A  slender,  round,  turned  piece  of  wood. 
Splat.     The  upright  ^ide  piece  of  wood  in  the  middle  of  a 

chair-back. 
Squab.     A  hard  cushion. 
Stiles.     The  vertical  pieces  of  a  panel,  into  w^hich  the  upper 

and  lower  rails  are  set,  with  mortise  and  tenon. 
Strainers    or    Stretchers,     The    pieces    of   wood    extending 

between  the  legs  of  chairs  or  tables  to  strengthen  them, 

and  in  early  times  to  rest  the  feet  upon,  to  keep  them 

from  the  cold  floor. 
Swell  front.     A  front  curved  in  a  slightly  circular  form. 


Tambour.  A  term  applied  to  a  door  or  cover  made  from 
small  strips  of  wood  glued  to  a  piece  of  cloth  which  is 
fastened  so  that  it  is  flexible. 

Tenon.  The  form  of  a  cut  which  fits  into  a  mortise  so  as  to 
make  a  firm  joint. 

Torchere.     A  candle  stand. 


458     Glossary  of  Terms  used  in  Cabinet  Work 


Veneer.     A  very  thin   piece  of  wood   glued   upon   another 

heavier  piece. 
Vernis  Martin,     A  French  varnish  with  a  golden  hue,  named 

for  its  inventor. 

W 

Wainscot  chair.     An  early  chair,  usually  of  oak,  with  the 
seat  and  back  formed  of  solid  panels. 


INDEX  OF  THE  OWNERS  OF   FURNITURE 


Albany  Historical  Society,  Giran- 
dole, 395 ;  forty-legged  table,  247. 

Alexander  Ladd  House,  Portsmouth. 
Chair,  161 ;  double  chair,  224. 

Allen  House.     Stairs,  427. 

American  Antiquarian  Society,  Worces- 
ter. Desk  127;  double  chair,  225; 
high  chair,  156;  looking-glass,  376; 
slate-top  table,  245 ;  tall  clock,  354. 

American  Philosophical  Society,  Phil- 
adelphia.    Chair,  177. 

B 

Barrell,  Mrs.  Charles  C,  York  Corners. 
Looking-glass,  380,  382. 

Baxter,  James  Phinney,  Portland. 
Sideboard,  97  ;  dressing-glass,  50. 

Bigelow,  Francis  H.,  Cambridge. 
Andirons,  319;  candelabra,  345; 
cellaret,  in;  chairs,  183,  185,  197, 
206,  207;  clock,  359;  desk,  129, 
151;  lamps,  344;  looking-glass,  41, 
'403,  406;  secretary,  150;  sconce, 
340;  settee,  228;  sideboard,  104, 
105;  sofa,  230;  table,  251,  253,  269; 
timepiece,  368 ;  wash-stand,  60. 

Bigelow,  Mrs.  H.  H.,  Worcester. 
Looking-glass,  10. 

Bigelow,  Irving,  Worcester,  Clock, 
362 ;    table,  266. 

Blaney,  D wight,  Boston.  Andirons, 
318;  bureau,  52;  chair,  163,  198; 
desk,  133  ;  high  chest,  26 ;  looking- 
glass,     400 ;       music-stand,       303 ; 


settle,  215;    sideboard,    108;    table, 

243,  244,  24s,  246,  253,  262,    276; 

what-not,  267. 
Boston   Art    Museum.    Clock,     354; 

looking-glass,  402. 
Bostonian  Society.    Clocks,  356. 
Burnside,  Miss  H.  P.  F.,  Worcester. 

Looking-glass,  64 ;  table,  275. 


Carroll,  Mrs.  Elbert  H.,  Worcester. 
Bureau,  48. 

Chase  Mansion,  Annapolis.  Doorway, 
445 ;  looking-glass,  389. 

Chickering  &  Co.     Piano,  302,  310. 

Clark,  Charles  D.,  Philadelphia. 
Clock,  357. 

"Cliveden,"  Germantown.  Entrance 
and  stairs,  446;  mantel,  447. 

Coates,  Miss  Mary,  Philadelphia. 
Chair,  161,  176,  187,  189,  204; 
table,  253. 

Colonial  Dames  of  Pennsylvania.  Bed- 
stead, 79;  sideboard,  no;  sofa, 
220. 

Concord  Antiquarian  Society.  Bed- 
stead, 69;  chair,  190;  couch,  217; 
looking-glass,  242;  settee,  234; 
table,  262,  264. 

Connecticut  Historical  Society,  Hart- 
ford.    Chest,  14. 

Cook-OUver  House,  Salem.  Mantel 
and  doorway,  413. 

Corbett,  George  H.,  Worcester.  Bed- 
stead, 82. 


459 


460 


Index  of  the  Owners  of  Furniture 


Crowninshield,  Frederic  B.,  Marble- 
head.     Settee,  233. 

Cutter,  Mrs.  J.  C,  Worcester.  Chair, 
209. 

D 

Dalton  House,  Newburj'port.  Door- 
way, 414;  mantel,  416,  417;  stairs, 
418. 

DarHngton,  Dr.  James  H.,  Brooklyn. 
Piano,  294,  327. 

Deerfield  Museum.  "Beaufatt,"  90; 
chair,  182;  chest,  11,  15;  dulcimer, 
304;  settle,  214;  spinet,  282. 

Dyer,  Clinton  M.,  Worcester.  Table, 
258 ;  table  and  chair,  267. 


Earle,   Mrs.   Alice  Morse,     Brooklyn. 

Chair,  187;  desk,  138. 
Essex  Institute,  Salem.      Chair,   158 ; 

cupboard,  88;  settee,  216. 


Faulkner,  Dr.  G.,  Roxbury.  Clock, 
363. 

Flagler,  Harry  Harkness,  Millbrook. 
Andirons,  320;  candle-stand,  343; 
chair,  164,  186,  188,  195;  clock, 
359;  double-chair,  222;  dressing- 
table,  39;  fender,  320;  high  chest, 
37;  lantern,  346;  looking-glass, 
39;  386,  404;  side  table,  93; 
settee,  221;  table,  254,  255,  256, 
258,  261 ;  writing  table,  136. 


Gage,   Mrs.   Thomas  H.,     Worcester. 

Bureau,    53,    56;    case   of   drawers, 

55;    desk,  152;    looking-glass,    398; 

sofa,  239. 
Gage,    Miss    Mabel    C,      Worcester. 

Desk,  120. 


Garrett,   The    Misses,     Williamsburg. 

Mixing  table,  116;  stairs,  448. 
Gay,  Calvin,  Worcester.     Clock,  372. 
Gilbert,   J.   J.,   Baltimore.     Bedstead 

71;     bookcase,    143;     chair,      199; 

table,  256 ;  music-stand,  306. 
Gilman,    Daniel,    Exeter.      Chest     of 

drawers,  36. 
Girard  College.     Settee,  229. 
Graeme  Park,  Horsford.     Mantel,  443 ; 

stairs,  442. 
Grisier,  Mrs.  Ada,  Auburn.    Piano.  295. 

H 
Harrison,    Mrs.    Charles    Custis,     St. 

David's.     Mixing-table,  115. 
Henry,    Mrs.     J.    H.,     Winchendon. 

Desk,  153. 
HerreshofT,    J.    B.    F.,     New     York. 

Double-chest,  ss. 
Historical    Society   of     Pennsylvania. 

Chair,  173,  201;  desk,  112. 
Hogg,  Mrs.  W.  J.,  Worcester.     Settee, 

227. 
Holmes,     George      W.,      Charleston. 

Bookcase,  144;    looking-glass,    409; 

side-table,  94. 
Hosmer,       The      Misses,       Concord. 

Couch,  218;    sofa,  235;    table,    268. 
Hosmer,  Walter,  Wethersfield.     Chair, 

180;    couch,    218;    cupboard,     88; 

desk,  125,  126;  dressing-table,  35. 
Huntington,    Dr.    William    R.,     New 

York.     Desk  with  cabinet  top,  130. 
Hyde,   Mrs.   Clarence  R.,     Brooklyn. 

Comb-back  rocker,  175;   chair,  202; 

knife-box,  100;    settee,    232;    table, 

275- 

I 
Independence    Hall.     Doorway     and 

stairs,  441. 
Ipswich     Historical      Society.      Bed- 
stead, 67;  chair,  170,  171. 


Index  of  the  Owners  of  Furniture 


461 


Johnson-Hudson,  Mrs.  Stratford.  Bed- 
stead, 66 ;  bureau,  47 ;  candle- 
shades,  332;  kas,  91;  looking-glass, 
332;  screen,  338;  table,  259. 


Kennedy,  W.  S.  G.,  Worcester.     Chair, 

190,   203;    clock,  364;     desk,    149; 

looking-glass,    392;      piano,      293; 

sideboard,  113;  sofa,  230. 
Kimball  House,  Salem.     Mantel,  431- 
Knabe,    William   &     Co.,    Baltimore 

Harpsichord,  285. 
Kohn,  H.  H.,  Albany.    Looking-glass, 

315. 

L 

Ladd  House,  Portsmouth.    Chair,  161 ; 

settee,  224. 
-Lang,  B.  J.,  Boston.     Piano,  308. 

Larkin-Richter  House,  Portsmouth. 
Doorway,  433- 

Lawrence,  Walter  Bowne,  Flushing. 
Chair,  208. 

Lawton,  Mrs.  Vaughan  Reed, 
Worcester.     Harp,  313. 

Lee  Mansion,  Marblehead.  Bed- 
stead, 70;  fireplace,  316;  mantel, 
422;  stairs,  425. 

Lemon,  E.  R.,  Sudbury.  Chest  of 
drawers,  19;  fire-frame,  328;  look- 
ing-glass, 349,  374- 

Lincoln,    Waldo,    Worcester.      Chair, 

209,  210;   sideboard,  109. 
Lindall-Barnard-Andrews   House,    Sa- 
lem.    Mantel,  432. 

M 

Maclnnes,  J.  C,  Worcester.  -Side- 
table,  106. 

Manor  Hall,  Yonkers.  Mantel,  438, 
439,  440. 


Marsh,   Mrs.  Caroline  Toote,    Clarc- 

mont-on-the-Jamcs.     Chest,  13. 
Meggatt,  William,  Wcthersfield.    Lan- 
tern clock,  349. 
Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art.     Basin- 
stand,    59;    chair,    igi ;     dressing- 
table,  24;    high-boy,  27;    looking- 
glass,  393,  411 ;  table,  262,  277. 
Moffett,     Charles      A.,      Worcester. 

Clock,  369. 
Moore,  D.  Thomas,  Westbury.    Clock, 

371 ;  chair,  196. 
Morse,     Charles     H.,      Charlestown. 
Bureau,  58;    clock,  366;    dressing- 
table,  54. 
Morse,  Mrs.  E.  A.,  Worcester.     Bed- 
stead, 77;    chair,  194,  208;    clock, 
361,  364;    table,    279;    washstand, 
62. 
Morse,  Miss  Frances  C,    Worcester. 
Andirons,   324;    bedstead,   78,    81; 
bureau,  45,  51;    candlesticks,  333I 
chairs,  166-168,  169,  172,  i74.  178, 
184,  193,  200,  212;   clock,  350,  357, 
360,  362,  364;    coasters,   102,  252; 
desk,  146;    high  chest,  30;    lamps, 
329;    looking-glass,   84,    280,     378, 
392,  396,   407,  410;    low-boy,    30, 
40,378;   mirror-knobs,  394 ;   night- 
table,  62;    piano,  290;    piano-stool, 
298,    300;     secretary     desk,     147; 
settee,  321;    sideboard,    102;    sofa, 
236;     table,    250,    252,    260,     265; 
washstand,  61,  63. 
Mount  Vernon.     Lamp,  335  ;   mantel, 

324- 
Myers,    Barton,     Norfolk.      Mantel, 
450;  settee,  232;  table,  274. 


Newburyport  Historical  Association. 
Cradle,  65 ;  desk  with  cabinet  top, 
137 ;  table,  244. 


462 


Index  of  the  Owners  of  Furniture 


Newman,  Mrs.  M.,  New  York.     Sofa, 

'241. 
Nichols,  The  Misses,   Salem.      Chair, 

205 ;  looking-glass,  399. 

O 

"Oak  Hill."  Peabody.     Stairs,  428. 

"Octagon,"  Washington.  Doorway, 
434;  mantel,  435. 

Ogle  House,  Annapolis.  Looking- 
glass,  390. 

Orth,  John,  Boston.     Clavichord,  288. 

Otis,  Harrison  Gray,  House,  Boston. 
Mantel,  425  ;   stairs,  424. 


Parker-Inches-Emery  House,  Boston. 
Doorway,  420. 

Pendleton  Collection,  Providence. 
Hall  lantern,   348;    knife  urn,   99. 

Pennsylvania  Historical  Society. 
Chair,  173,  183,  184;   desk,  124. 

Penny-Hallett  House,  Boston.  Man- 
tel. 419. 

Philadelphia  Library  Association. 
Looking-glass,  384. 

Pilgrim  Society,  Plymouth.  Chairs, 
157;  cradle,  65. 

Poore,  Ben:  Perley,  By  field.  Bed- 
stead, 72,  75;  candle-stand,  330, 
342;  cellaret,  iii;  chair,  159, 
160,  162,  172,  181,  186,  204;  chest 
on  frame,  18;  clock,  352;  looking- 
glass,  117,  154;  screen,  342;  sofa, 
240. 

Potter,  Mrs.  M.  G.,  Worcester.  Look- 
ing-glass, 213. 

Pratt,  Miss  Emma  A.,  Worcester. 
Miniature  tall  clock,  360. 

Prentice,  Mrs.  Charles  H.,  Worcester. 
Dutch  chair,  179. 

Preston,  Mrs.  William,  Richmond. 
Looking-glass,  397. 


Priest,  Mrs.  Louis  M.,  Salem.  Piano, 
296. 

Pringle  House,  Charleston.  Chande- 
lier, 336. 

Prouty,  Dwight  M.,  Boston.  And- 
irons, 322;  chair,  166,  192,  202; 
chest,  1 7 ;  chest  of  drawers,  20 ; 
clock,  368 ;  bureau,  42  ;  hall  lantern, 
347;  looking-glass,  375,  384,  388, 
408;  music-stand,  307;  screen, 
341;  settee,  219;  side-table,  107; 
stool,  167;  table,  248,  263,  270. 


R 

Rankin,  Mrs.  F.  W.,  Albany.  Desk, 
119,  120;  table,  249. 

Rines,  Albert  S.,  Portland.  Chair,  192  ; 
secretary,  135 ;  settee,  226. 

Robart,  F.  A.,  Boston.  Dressing- 
table  23;  high-chest,  22. 

Robinson  House,  Saunderstown.  Stairs, 
426. 

Rogers,  Mrs.  N.  F.,  Worcester.  Cheval 
glass,  405. 


Sargent-Murray-Gilman        House 

Gloucester.   Mantel,  429 ;  stairs,  430. 
Schoeffer,    Dr.    Charles,    Philadelphia. 

Sofa,  212. 
Schuyler  House,  Albany.     Mantel,  436. 
Shapiro,    L.   J.,    Norfolk.     Sideboard, 

114,  table,  272. 
Sibley,    Charles,    Worcester.     Bureau, 

46. 
Smith,  John,  Worcester.    Table,  273. 
Stevenson,     Cornelius,     Philadelphia. 

Screen,  341. 


Tappan,  Mrs.  Sanford,  Newburyport. 
Piano,  292. 


Index  of  the  Owners  of  Furniture 


463 


Tilton,    Miss    M.    E.,    Newburyport. 

Table,  251. 
Turner,   Frank   C,   Norwich.     Clock, 

369. 

U 

Unitarian  Church,  Leicester.  Chair, 
200. 

V 

Valentine  Museum,  Richmond.    Stairs, 

449. 
Verplanck,  Samuel,  Fishkill.  Desk  with 

cabinet  top,  frontispiece. 

W 

Warner  House,  Portsmouth.  Bedstead, 
76;  bill  of  lading,  139;  bookcase, 
142 ;  bureau,  43  ;  chandeUer,  334 ; 
double  chest,  32;  dressing-table,  34; 


high  chest,  28;  sofa,  237;  stove, 
327. 

Waters,  Charles  R.,  Salem.  Bedstead, 
74;  bureau,  44;  candelabra,  325; 
chair,  155,  160,  194,  196,  203;  chest, 
16;  chest  upon  frame,  18;  cup- 
board, 87;  desk  box,  118;  desk  with 
cabinet  top,  128;  hob  grate,  325; 
looking-glass,  383;  lantern  clock, 
350. 

Wing,  Mrs.  John  D.,  Millbrook. 
Music  stand,  303. 

Woodward,  Mrs.  Rufus,  Worcester. 
High  chest,  29. 

Woodward,  Mrs.  Samuel  B.,  Worcester. 
Bedstead,  80;  bureau,  57;  table, 
268. 

Worcester  Art  Museum.    Table,  274. 


GENERAL   INDEX 


Adam,  Robert  and  J.,  4,  5,  gg,  184. 

Adam  leg,  235,  241. 

x\dams,  John,  quoted,  284. 

Allen  house,  427. 

Andirons,  317. 

Argand  lamp,  334. 

Astor  piano,  292. 

B 

Baldwin,       Christopher       Columbus, 

quoted,  314. 
Banister-back  chair,  168. 
"Banjo"  clock,  366. 
Bason  stand,  58. 
Beaufet  or  beaufatt,  89,  90. 
Bedstead,     claw-and-ball     foot,     69; 

cording   of,    73;     coverlid   for,    78; 

early,   65 ;    field,   67 ;    French,   82 ; 

Hepplewhite,    73 ;     low    post,    80 ; 

ornaments      for      concealing      bed 

screws,  77;    press,  66;    sleigh,  83; 

steps  for,  73,  79. 
Bell-flower,  197. 
Belter,  John,  290. 
Betty  lamp,  328. 
Bevelling,  375. 
Bible  box,  118. 
"Biglow  Papers,"  quoted,  31. 
"Bilboa"  looking-glass,  401. 
BiU  of  lading,  189. 
Bird-cage  clock,  349. 
BHss,  Rev.  Daniel,  190. 
Block,  front,  42,  128,  129. 
Blythe,  Samuel,  286. 


BoUes  collection,  25,  26,  155,  242. 

Bonaparte  chair,  209. 

Books  on  furniture,  4. 

Bowley,  Devereux,  355. 

Bracket  clock,  352. 

Brass  beading,  237. 

Brewster  chair,  157. 

Broadwood  harpsichord,  287. 

Brown,  Gawen,  355. 

Brown,  John,  Joseph,  Nicholas,  Moses, 

34,  195- 
Bulkeley,  Rev.  Peter,  217, 
Bureau,  41,  113,  146. 
Burney,  Dr.,  quoted,  281. 
Burnt  work  on  chest,  12. 
Butterfly  table,  245. 


Candelabra,  373,  375- 

Candle  beam,  337. 

Candle  extinguisher,  334. 

Candle  shades,  332. 

Candle-stand,  mahogany,  343;  iron, 
331. 

Candlestick,  327,  333. 

Carroll,  Charles,  235. 

Carver  chair,  157. 

Cellaret,  in. 

Chair,  bandy-leg,  177;  banister,  168, 
cane,  159;  Carver  and  Brewster, 
157;  comb-back,  175;  Dutch,  178; 
easy,  182;  fan-back,  175;  Flemish, 
160;  leather,  158;  Queen  Anne, 
167;  rocking,  173;  roundabout, 
170;    slat-back,  171;    turned,  156; 


2  H 


465 


466 


General  Index 


Turkey  work,  i6o;  wainscot,  157 
Windsor,  175;   writing,  177. 

Chair  table,  243. 

Chaise  longue,  217. 

Chambers,  Sir  William,  4. 

Chandelier,  334,  336. 

Chandler,  John,  225,  355. 

Charters,  John,  300. 

Chase,  Samuel,  444. 

Chase  house,  444. 

Chest,  10. 

Chest  of  drawers,  19. 

Chest  on  frame,  18. 

Cheval  glass,  405. 

Chew,  Benjamin,  447. 

Chickering  &  Co.,  301,  310. 

China  steps,  25. 

Chinese  taste,  193,  223,  379. 

Chippendale,  Thomas,  4,  184. 

Clavichord,  287. 

Claw-and-ball  foot,  178. 

Clementi,  291. 

Cleopatra's  Barge,  233. 

Cliveden,  446. 

Clocks,  348. 

Coasters,  103,  251. 

Comb-back,  175. 

Commode,  41,  66;  table,  41. 

Cook-Oliver  house,  412. 

Cording  a  bed,  73. 

Corner  chair,  170. 

Cornucopia  sofa,  238. 

Couch,  217. 

Cradle,  65. 

Creepers,  321. 

Cupboard,  almery,  84;  corner,  90; 
court,  86;   livery,  86;   press,  84. 

Cupboard  cloths  or  cushions,  89. 


Dalton,  Tristram,  415. 
Darby  and  Joan  seat,  220. 
Darly,  Matthias,  4. 


Day  bed,  217. 

Dearborn,  General  Henry,  167. 

Derby  house,  411. 

Desk,  107,  108. 

Desk-box,  108. 

Dish-top  table,  252. 

Dodd  &  Claus,  289. 

Double  chair,  222,  225. 

Double  chest,  32. 

Drawing-table,  243. 

Dressing-glass,  50. 

Dulcimer,  304. 

Dutch  marquetrie,  46. 

Dutch  tea-table,  251. 


Easy-chair,  182,  183. 
Edwards  and  Darley,  379. 
Emerson,  Rev.  William,  190. 
Empire  bureau,  56,  57,  58;   sideboard, 

114;  dining-table,  272. 
Erben,  Peter,  297. 
Extension- top  chair,  191. 


Fan-back,  175. 

Fancy  chair,  210. 

Faneuil,  Peter,  347. 

Fender,  320. 

Fireback,  323. 

Fire-frame,  326. 

Fireplace,  316,  319. 

Flemish  chairs,  160. 

Flucker,  Lucy,  49. 

Foot,  claw-and-ball,  178;  Dutch,  171; 

Flemish,     163;     French,    48,     222; 

spade,  210;  Spanish,  165. 
Forms,  139. 

Forty-legged  table,  248. 
Franklin,  Benjamin,  306,  $2h. 
Franklin  stove,  326. 
French      foot,       Hepplewhite,       48; 

scroll,  186,  222. 


General  Index 


467 


Frets,  288. 
Friesland  clock,  341. 
Fringe,  netted,  68. 


Gas,  344. 
Gate-leg,  248. 
Gibbon,  Dr.,  3. 
Gilman,  Rev.  Samuel,  431. 
Girandole,  395. 
Girard,  Stephen,  229. 
Graeme  Park,  442. 
Guilloche,  200. 

H 

Hadley  chest,  16. 

Haircloth  covering,  204,  241. 

Hall  lantern,  346,  347. 

Hamilton,  Alexander,  437. 

Hancock,  John,  126,  225,  267,  211,  346, 

353- 
Hancock,  Thomas,  353. 
Handles,  21,  49. 
Harmonica,  305. 
Harp,  313. 

Harp-shaped  piano,  311. 
Harpsichord,  286. 
Harris,  John,  286. 
Hassam,  Stephen,  365. 
Haward,  Charles,  281. 
Hawkey,  Henry,  312. 
Hawthorne,  Nathaniel,  quoted,  38. 
Heaton,  J.  Aldam,  quoted,  9. 
Hepplewhite,  4,  6,  196. 
Hessians,  318. 
High-boy,  24,  31. 
Hipkins,  A.  J.,  283. 
Hitchcock,  John,  284;    Thomas,  281, 

283. 
Hob-grate,  323. 

Holmes,  O.  W.,  quoted,  i;  132,  155. 
Howard,  Edward,  364. 


Hundred-legged  table,  2,  248. 
Huntington,  Dr.  William  R.,  133, 


Ince  and  Mayhew,  4,  184,  379. 
Independence  Hall,  441. 
Irish  Chippendale,  03. 


Jacobean  furniture,  159. 
Japanning,  24,  123,  204. 
Japan  work,  24,  123,  376. 
JeflFerson,  Thomas,  177,  334. 
Johnson,  Dr.  Samuel,  91;    Dr.  Will- 
iam Samuel,  258,  338. 
Johnson,  Thomas,  4,  5,  379. 
Joint  or  joined  furniture,  10. 
Jones,  William,  4. 


Kas  or  kasse,  91. 

Keene,  Stephen,  281,  282. 

Keith,  Sir  William,  443, 

Kettle-shape,  44,  135. 

Kettle-stand,  257. 

Kimball  house,  431. 

Knife-boxes,  99,  100. 

Knobs  for  looking-glasses,  394. 

Knox,  General,  50,  98. 


Lacquered  furniture,  24,  123. 

Lafayette,  238. 

Lamp,  betty,  328;  mantel,  345 ;  silver, 

335- 
Langdale,  Josiah,  162. 
Lantern,  346. 
Lantern  clock,  348. 
Larkin-Richter  house,  433. 
Lee,  Col.  Jeremiah,  423. 
Lee  mansion,  317,  423. 
Light-stand,  257. 


468 


General   Index 


Lindall-Bamard-Andrews  house,  432. 

Lock,  Matthias,  4,  5,  379- 

Logan,  James,  no. 

Looking-glasses,  374. 

Low-boy,  24,  31. 

Lowell,  James  Russell,  quoted,  21. 

M 

Macphaedris,  Archibald,  140. 

Mahogany,  3,  4. 

Manor  hall,  437. 

Mantel  lamps,  345. 

Manwaring,  Robert,  4,  184. 

Marie  Antoinette,  97,  227. 

Marquetrie,  46. 

Mclntire,  207,  411. 

Mather,  Richard,  156. 

Mayhew,  Ince  and,  4,  184. 

Melville,  David,  344. 

Miniature  bureau,  53  ;   sofa,  239. 

Mirror  knobs,  394. 

Mischianza  fete,  385,  448. 

Mixing  table,  115,  116. 

Morgan,  Lady,  308,  314. 

Morris,  Robert,  116. 

Mouldings,  19,  47. 

Mount  Vernon,  chair,  205 ;    fireplace, 

324;  lamp,  335. 
Murray,  Rev.  John,  431. 
Musical  clock,  361,  363. 
Musical  glasses,  305. 
Music-stand,  303,  306,  307. 
Myers,  Barton,  house,  450. 

N 
Newport  chest,  33 ;  bureau,  45 ;  writ- 
ing table,  136. 
Night  table,  62. 


O 


Oak,  3,  19. 
Oak  Hill,  428. 
Octagon  house,  434. 


Oliver,  Gen.  412. 
Osborne,  Sir  Danvers,  122. 
Otis,  Harrison  Gray,  house,  424. 


Parker-Inches-Emery  house,  420. 
"Parson    Turell's    Legacy,"    quoted, 

155- 
Pembroke  table,  262. 
Pendleton  collection,  100,  347. 
Penn,  William,  125. 
Penny-Hallet  house,  419. 
Pepperell,  Sir  William,  160. 
Pepys,  Samuel,  quoted,  281. 
Philipse,  Mary,  437. 
Philipse  Manor  house,  437. 
Phyfe,  Duncan,  275. 
Piano,  289. 
Piano-stool,  298,  300. 
Pie-crust  table,  252. 
Pillar-and-claw  table,  272. 
Pipe-case,  36. 

Pollen,  Hungerford,  quoted,  375. 
Popkin,  Dr.  John  Smelling,  129. 
Portuguese  twist,  168. 
Preston,  John,  245. 
Prince  of  Wales  feathers,  197. 
Pringle  house,  337. 
Province  House,  332. 
Putnam  cupboard,  86. 


Quadrille,  258. 
Queen  Anne  chair,  167. 
Quill  work,  339. 

Quincy,  Eliza  Susan  Morton,  quoted, 
335- 

R 

Ripley,  Dr.  Ezra,  190,  234. 
Rittenhouse,  David,  358. 
Robinson,  G.  T.,  quoted,  3. 
Robinson  house,  426. 


General   Index 


469 


Rockers,  173,  177. 
Roundabout  chair,  170. 
Rumford,  Count,  320. 


Sally,  ship,  96,  226. 

Sargent-Murray-Gilman  house,  429. 

Satinwood,  6. 

Schuyler,  Gen.  Philip,  437. 

Schuyler  house,  437. 

Sconce,  377. 

Screen,  338,  341. 

Scrutoir,  118. 

Secret  drawers,  132,  136. 

Settee,  216,  221. 

Settle,  214. 

Sewall,  Judge  Samuel,  280,  321,  377. 

Shaw,  Miss  Rebecca,  137,  189. 

Shearer,  Thomas,  5,  96,  264. 

Sheraton,  Thomas,  4,  184,  205. 

Sheraton  quoted,  3,  7,  106,  146,  150, 
295- 

Sherburne,  John,  28. 

Sideboard,  91;  Shearer,  96;  Hep- 
plewhite,  loi ;  Sheraton,  105  ;  meas- 
urements of,  106 ;  woods  used  in,  99. 

Side  table,  Chippendale,  93,  94. 

Slat-back  chair,  171. 

Slate-top  table,  245. 

Slaw-bank,  66. 

Smoker's  tongs,  331. 

Spade  foot,  210. 

Spandrels,  353. 

Spanish  foot,  165. 

Spindle-leg,  249. 

Spinet,  281. 

Splat,  179,  184. 

Squabs,  238. 

Stand,  candle,  343;  Dutch,  251; 
kettle,  257  ;  light,  257. 

Stein,  Andre,  398. 

Stenton,  no,  221. 

Steps  for  beds,  73,  79. 


Storr,  Marmaduke,  355. 
Strong,  Governor  Caleb,  190. 
Swan,  Colonel,  96. 


Table,  butterfly,  246;  card,  257,  264; 
chair,  243;  dish-top,  252;  drawing. 
243;  Dutch  tea,  251;  framed,  248; 
forty,  gate  or  hundred-legged,  243; 
joined,  243 ;  Pembroke,  262 ;  pie- 
crust, 252;  pillar-and-claw,  272; 
slate-top,  24s;  spindle-legged,  249; 
work,  268. 

Table  borde,  242. 

Table  piano,  301. 

Tall  clocks,  354. 

Tambour,  150. 

Tayloe,  Col.  John,  434. 

Tea-tray,  mahogany,  264 ;  Sheffield. 
249. 

Terry,  Eli,  370. 

Thomas,  Seth,  370. 

Turkey  work,  159,  216. 

U 

Unitarian  church,  Leicester,  2cx>. 
Upright  piano,  309. 


Valentine  Museum,  449. 
Vanderbilt,  Mrs.,  quoted,  72. 
Van  Rensselaer,  Killian,  1 20. 
Van  Rensselaer,  Philip,  120. 
Virginal,  280. 

W 

Wainscot  chair,  157. 
Walnut,  3. 

Ware,  Isaac,  quoted,  423. 
Warner,  Colonel  Jonathan,  140. 
Warville,  Brissot  de,  quoted,  289. 
Washington,  George,  103,  151,  201,  205, 
323,  378. 


470 


General   Index 


Washstand,  57. 

Watson's  Annals,  quoted,  306. 

Wendell,  Elizabeth  Hunt,  283. 

Wentworth,  Governor  John,  223. 

Whatnot,  267. 

Whipple  house,  171,  319. 

Wig  stand,  58. 


Willard,    Aaron,     Benjamin,     Simon, 

362. 
Windsor,  chair,  174. 
Wood,  Small  &  Co.,  300. 
Work-table,  270. 
Writing-chair,  177. 
Writing-table,  136. 


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